Adopted Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study 2015 - Final Word Version - February 2015 (A1008204)

Wyndham Dr y St one Walls St udy
Pr epar ed for Cit y of Wyndham
February 2015
By Gar y Vines
Biosis 2012 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting

Biosis offices Document information
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Canberra
Floor 1, Unit 3, 38 Essington Street Report t o: City of Wyndham
Mitchell ACT 2911
Prepar ed by: Gary Vines
Phone: (02) 6241 2333
Fax: (03) 9646 9242 Biosis pr oject no.: 16631
Email: canberra@biosis.com.au File nam e:
NEW SOUTH WALES Cit at ion: Biosis (2014) Wyndham Dry Stone walls Heritage Study, Report
Sydney for City of Wyndham. Authors: G Vines. Biosis Pty Ltd
Unit 14, 17-27 Power Avenue
Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9690 2777
Document control
Fax: (02) 9690 2577
Email: sydney@biosis.com.au Ver sion Int ernal r eview er Dat e issued
Wollongong
Draft version 01 Gary Vines 18/12/2013
8 Tate Street
Wollongong NSW 2500 version 02 Melanie Thomson 17/6/2014
Phone: (02) 4229 5222 Version 03 Gary Vines 20/06/2014
Fax: (02) 4229 5500
Version 04 Gary Vines 28/08/2014
Email: wollongong@biosis.com.au
QUEENSLAND Version 05 Gary Vines 11/02/2015
Brisbane
Suite 4 First Floor, 72 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Phone: (07) 3831 7400
Fax: (07) 3831 7411
Email: brisbane@biosis.com.au
VICTORIA
Ballarat
506 Macarthur Street
Ballarat VIC 3350
Phone: (03) 5331 7000
Fax: (03) 5331 7033
Email: ballarat@biosis.com.au
Melbourne (Head Office)
38 Bertie Street
Port Melbourne VIC 3207
Phone: (03) 9646 9499
Fax: (03) 9646 9242 Biosis Pty Ltd
Email: melbourne@biosis.com.au This document is and shall remain the property of Biosis Pty Ltd. The document may only be
Wangaratta used for the purposes for which it was commissioned and in accordance with the Terms of the
Engagement for the commission. Unauthorised use of this document in any form whatsoever is
16 Templeton Street prohibited.
Wangaratta VIC 3677
Disclaimer:
Phone: (03) 5721 9453
Biosis Pty Ltd has completed this assessment in accordance with the relevant federal, state and
Fax: (03) 5721 9454
local legislation and current industry best practice. The company accepts no liability for any
Email: wangaratta@biosis.com.au damages or loss incurred as a result of reliance placed upon the report content or for any
purpose other than that for which it was intended.
Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au i

Acknowledgements
Biosis Pty Ltd acknowledges the contributions of the following people and organisations in preparing this
report:
Kristien Van den Bossche, Peter Gibbs, Craig Dodson (City of Wyndham)
David Moloney (Heritage Consultant)
Jeremy Smith, Brandi Burgh (Heritage Victoria)
Frances Overmars (Pinkerton Landcare and Environment Group)
Sera-Jane Peters (City of Melton)
Lance Pritchard Werribee District Historical Society
Bill Strong Werribee Heritage Recovery Inc
Abbreviations
AAV Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (Heritage Services Branch)
AHC Australian Heritage Commission
AMG Australian Map Grid
BP Before Present
CHMP Cultural Heritage Management Plan
CHP Cultural Heritage Permit
SEWPAC Department of Sustainability and Environment, Water, Planning and Conservation
GAA Growth Areas Authority
HO Heritage Overlay
HV Heritage Victoria (DSE)
ICOMOS International Council on Monuments and Sites
LCC Land Conservation Council
MPA Metropolitan Planning Authority
PSP Precinct Structure Plan
RAP Registered Aboriginal Party
RNE Register of the National Estate
VAS Victoria Archaeological Survey (now part of AAV and Heritage Victoria)
VHI Victorian Heritage Inventory (historical archaeological site listing maintained by Heritage
Victoria)
I am a dry stone waller

All day I dry stone wall
Of all appalling callings
Dry stone wallings
Worst of all.
(Pam Ayres)
Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 2

Contents
Cont ent s................................................................................................................................................................... 3
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................................... 8

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
1 Sum m ar y ......................................................................................................................................................... 14
1.1 Significance of dry stone walls ................................................................................................................................... 15

1.2 Management recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 16
1.2.1 Conservation of dry stone walls ................................................................................................................. 16
1.2.2 Statutory control ............................................................................................................................................ 16
1.2.3 Permits and consents ................................................................................................................................... 17
1.2.4 Further investigations ................................................................................................................................... 17
1.2.5 Education and interpretation ...................................................................................................................... 17
2 Int r oduct ion ................................................................................................................................................... 19
2.1 Project background ...................................................................................................................................................... 19

2.1.1 Location and description of the study area ............................................................................................. 20
2.2 Consultation .................................................................................................................................................................. 20
3 Back gr ound infor m at ion ............................................................................................................................. 23
3.1 Planning context ........................................................................................................................................................... 23

3.2 Environmental background ....................................................................................................................................... 23
4 Hist or ical Backgr ound .................................................................................................................................. 25
4.1 Exploration & survey ................................................................................................................................................... 25

4.2 Squatters ........................................................................................................................................................................ 27
4.3 Selectors & settlers ...................................................................................................................................................... 31
4.3.1 Land sales ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
4.3.2 Containing strays and disease .................................................................................................................... 34
4.3.3 Farmers commons and tenants ................................................................................................................ 35
4.3.4 Closed roads ................................................................................................................................................... 36
4.4 Who built the walls? ..................................................................................................................................................... 38
4.4.1 What were they for? ...................................................................................................................................... 39
4.4.2 Costs of walling .............................................................................................................................................. 42
4.4.3 Fencing regulation ......................................................................................................................................... 43
4.5 Community building .................................................................................................................................................... 45
4.6 Wall removal .................................................................................................................................................................. 46
5 Hist or ical analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 48
5.1 Periods of construction ............................................................................................................................................... 48

5.2 Distribution .................................................................................................................................................................... 51
5.3 Preservation .................................................................................................................................................................. 54
5.4 Techniques of construction........................................................................................................................................ 56
6 Pr evious assessm ent s .................................................................................................................................. 61
6.1 Regional surveys ........................................................................................................................................................... 61

6.2 Dry stone walls studies ............................................................................................................................................... 61
6.2.1 Western Region Dry Stone Walls Study .................................................................................................... 61
6.2.2 Melton Dry Stone Wall Study ...................................................................................................................... 63
6.2.3 Dry Stone Walls Association wall spotter ................................................................................................. 64
6.3 Previously recorded walls ........................................................................................................................................... 65
6.4 Interstate wall recording ............................................................................................................................................. 69
6.5 Overseas recording ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
7 Recor ding ........................................................................................................................................................ 73
7.1 Field Survey .................................................................................................................................................................... 77

7.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................................. 77
7.3 Limitations/constraints ............................................................................................................................................... 77
8 Significance assessm ent s m et hod ............................................................................................................. 79
8.1 Aesthetic significance .................................................................................................................................................. 79

8.2 Historical significance .................................................................................................................................................. 80
8.3 Technical / scientific significance............................................................................................................................... 80
8.4 Social significance ......................................................................................................................................................... 82
8.5 Qualifiers of significance ............................................................................................................................................. 82
8.6 Other values (environmental qualities) ................................................................................................................... 83
8.7 Significance summary ................................................................................................................................................. 84
9 Sur vey r esult s and hist or ical assessm ent ................................................................................................ 86
9.1 Truganina ....................................................................................................................................................................... 89

9.1.1 Truganina settlement ................................................................................................................................... 90
9.1.2 Doherty's Truganina Farm ........................................................................................................................... 93
9.1.3 May Farm ......................................................................................................................................................... 94
9.1.4 Robertson's Truganina Estate ..................................................................................................................... 95
9.1.5 Wine Cellar and Skeleton Creek water reserve ....................................................................................... 98
9.1.6 Evans / Wood farm ...................................................................................................................................... 101
9.1.7 Wesleyan Chapel Skeleton Creek ............................................................................................................. 103
9.2 Tarneit and Mt Cottrell .............................................................................................................................................. 106
9.2.1 The Peppercorns and Volant farm .......................................................................................................... 107
9.2.2 Doherty Farm Dry Creek Tarneit farm .................................................................................................... 109
9.2.3 Missen Farm ................................................................................................................................................. 111
9.2.4 Clarkes Dam .................................................................................................................................................. 114

9.3 Werribee & Wyndham Vale ...................................................................................................................................... 116
9.3.1 Werribee Park Ha-ha................................................................................................................................... 116
9.3.2 Ballan Road walls ......................................................................................................................................... 117
9.3.3 Scott/Hanley farm walls Black Forest Road ........................................................................................... 119
9.4 Little River ..................................................................................................................................................................... 121
9.4.1 Little River United Farmers Common ..................................................................................................... 121
9.4.2 Ball house and walls .................................................................................................................................... 125
9.4.3 Little River Road / Old Melbourne Road ................................................................................................. 126
9.4.4 Mouyong........................................................................................................................................................ 129
9.5 Werribee River ............................................................................................................................................................ 131
9.5.1 Eynesbury entrance road walls ................................................................................................................ 131
9.5.2 Cobbledicks Ford and Dukelows Road ................................................................................................... 133
10 Sur vey Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 136
10.1 Recording ..................................................................................................................................................................... 136

10.1.1 Definition (what is a dry stone wall?) ....................................................................................................... 136
10.1.2 Wall types ...................................................................................................................................................... 137
10.2 Significance ranking ................................................................................................................................................... 139
10.3 Statement of Significance for dry stone walls in Wyndham ............................................................................. 140
10.3.1 Historical significance ................................................................................................................................. 140
10.3.2 Aesthetic significance .................................................................................................................................. 142
10.3.3 Scientific Significance .................................................................................................................................. 142
10.3.4 Social Significance ........................................................................................................................................ 143
10.3.5 Specific dry stone wall localities ............................................................................................................... 143
11 Dr y st one w all planning and m anagem ent guidelines ........................................................................ 146
11.1 Conservation principles ............................................................................................................................................ 146

11.1.1 Planning considerations ............................................................................................................................. 147
11.2 Local planning provisions ......................................................................................................................................... 149
11.2.1 Wyndham Planning Scheme Clause 52.37 ............................................................................................ 149
11.2.2 Heritage Overlay .......................................................................................................................................... 150
11.2.3 Significant Landscape Overlay .................................................................................................................. 151
11.2.4 Victorian Heritage Inventory ..................................................................................................................... 154
11.2.5 Victorian Heritage Register ........................................................................................................................ 154
11.2.6 Commonwealth EPBC ................................................................................................................................. 154
12 Managem ent Recom m endat ions............................................................................................................. 155
12.1 Conservation of dry stone walls .............................................................................................................................. 155

12.2 Statutory control ......................................................................................................................................................... 156
12.3 Permits and Consents ............................................................................................................................................... 159
12.4 Further investigations ................................................................................................................................................ 159

12.5 Education and interpretation .................................................................................................................................. 160
12.5.1 Self-Drive tour ............................................................................................................................................... 160
12.6 Report Lodgement ..................................................................................................................................................... 161
13 Planning Per m it Guidelines ....................................................................................................................... 162
13.1 General ......................................................................................................................................................................... 162

13.2 Permit application requirements ............................................................................................................................ 163
13.3 Permit exemptions..................................................................................................................................................... 164
13.4 Demolition ................................................................................................................................................................... 165
13.5 Subdivision ................................................................................................................................................................... 166
13.6 Engineering works ...................................................................................................................................................... 167
13.7 Farming......................................................................................................................................................................... 169
13.8 Fencing and signage .................................................................................................................................................. 170
13.9 Landscape works ........................................................................................................................................................ 171
14 Maint enance and r epair of dr y st one w alls ........................................................................................... 174
14.1 Specifications for repair and reconstruction ........................................................................................................ 175

14.1.1 General specification .................................................................................................................................. 175
14.1.2 Repair techniques ........................................................................................................................................ 178
14.2 Examples of reconstructed stone walls................................................................................................................. 179
14.2.1 Poor examples ............................................................................................................................................. 180
14.2.2 Moderate examples of mortared walls .................................................................................................. 181
14.2.3 Moderate examples of un-mortared walls ............................................................................................ 181
14.2.4 Good examples ............................................................................................................................................ 183
Glossar y................................................................................................................................................................ 187
Bibliogr aphy ........................................................................................................................................................ 192
Appendices .......................................................................................................................................................... 200
Appendix 1 Pr oject Br ief ................................................................................................................................. 201
Appendix 2 Assessm ent of her it age significance ...................................................................................... 205
Appendix 3 Sum m ar y of st at ut or y r egulat ions ......................................................................................... 209
Appendix 4 Cont act s & com m unit y pr oject s .............................................................................................. 212
Dry stone Wallers ................................................................................................................................................................ 212

Professional organisations................................................................................................................................................ 213
Individual landowners & residents.................................................................................................................................. 213
Other studies and workshops .......................................................................................................................................... 213
Appendix 5 Walls r ecor ded in Vines 1990 St udy ......................................................................................... 215
Appendix 6 Maps of all dr y st one w alls in t he Cit y of Wyndham ............................................................ 218
Appendix 7 Spr eadsheet of all r ecor ded dr y st one w alls ......................................................................... 221
Appendix 8 Am ended and new Her it age Over lay place cit at ions .......................................................... 223

HO28 Robertson's Truganina Estate ............................................................................................................................... 224
HO30 Vineyard Estate ........................................................................................................................................................ 231
HO119 Skeleton Waterholes Reserve ............................................................................................................................. 237
HO38 Missen's farm ........................................................................................................................................................... 242
HO36 Doherty's Dry Creek Tarneit farm ........................................................................................................................ 247
HO9 Peppercorns ................................................................................................................................................................ 252
HO10 Volant house (Arva) ................................................................................................................................................. 256
HO18 Cobbledicks Ford and Reserve walls ................................................................................................................... 260
HO53 Mouyong ................................................................................................................................................................... 266
Wesleyan Chapel site .......................................................................................................................................................... 271
Little River Farmers Common stone walls ..................................................................................................................... 277
Ballan Road walls ................................................................................................................................................................. 286
Little River Road - Old Melbourne Road Walls .............................................................................................................. 290

List of Figur es
Figure 1: Location of the study area.................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 2: Geological Survey of Victoria, Melbourne 1:250 000 sheet SJ55-5 (1970)................................................ 24
Figure 3: 1836 Wedge map showing land claimed by Port Phillip Association ...................................................... 26
Figure 4: Plan of squatting runs in the settled district (Spreadborough & Anderson)........................................... 27
Figure 5: Ha-ha wall Werribee Park ................................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 6: Plan of main squatters land purchases on Keilor - Werribee Plains ......................................................... 30
Figure 7: Plan showing extent of freehold estates in Western Region in 1880 ....................................................... 32
Figure 8: Former City of Werribee with parishes (pink) and county boundaries (green line dividing Bourke
and Grant). .............................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Figure 9: Orchard and vegetable garden separated from grazing livestock by a full height dry stone wall,
probably north of Melbourne, c1860s. State Library Vic. ............................................................................................. 40
Figure 10: Fine squared stone wall in Epping, clearly around the main homestead garden, Michael Zimmer
and his horse Cheriot ca1910. (Whittlesea Library lhc195)S ....................................................................................... 40
Figure 11: Bill Smithson, Billy Carsons, and another, hanging rabbits on fence wire above a stone wall note
the rabbit wire on right. Bacchus Marsh District, Victoria, circa 1923 (Melbourne Museum 5358) .................. 41
Figure 12: Graphic example of dry stone wall as firebreak in the Barossa Valley, (South Australian, 21 Jan.
2014)......................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 13: 1917 Army Ordnance Plan showing Chirnside's big grazing paddock walls. ....................................... 49
Figure 14: Land alienation by decade ............................................................................................................................... 50
Figure 15: Regional distribution of dry stone walls north and west of Melbourne ................................................ 52
Figure 16: Distribution of all dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham ...................................................................... 53
Figure 17: Surviving walls in relation to demolished walls ........................................................................................... 55
Figure 18: Diagram showing components of full-height dry stone wall. .................................................................. 57
Figure 19: Typical 'half-height' wall of the Keilor Werribee Plains (example near Little River) ............................. 59
Figure 20: Partly restored near-full height wall with tied wall ends (33A Rothwell Road Little River) ................ 59
Figure 21: Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia recording form ......................................................................... 65
Figure 22: Dry Stone Walling Association survey sheet. ............................................................................................... 70
Figure 23: Dry Stone Wall Association UK, basic styles and patterns ........................................................................ 71
Figure 24: Dry Stone Wall Association UK, condition classes ...................................................................................... 72
Figure 25: Sketches of typical examples of each main type of wall found in Wyndham ...................................... 81
Figure 26: Key map of dry stone wall locality areas ....................................................................................................... 87
Figure 27: Legend for dry stone wall assessment criteria outlined in Section0 ...................................................... 88
Figure 28: Dry stone wall localities in the Truganina area............................................................................................ 89
Figure 29: Plan of stone walls around the Truganina settlement .............................................................................. 90
Figure 30: Truganina School note wall on right ........................................................................................................... 91
Figure 31: Oak tree at Truganina Presbyterian chapel site .......................................................................................... 91
Figure 32: Dry stone wall along Woods Road north of Truganina settlement ........................................................ 92
Figure 33: Approximate extent of Doherty's Truganina Farm, from 1933 Army Survey map ............................. 93
Figure 34: May Farm from 1933 Army Survey map ....................................................................................................... 94

Figure 35: Walls of Robertson's Truganina Estate from 1933 Army Survey map ................................................... 95
Figure 36: Auction poster for Truganina Stud Farm ...................................................................................................... 96
Figure 37: Looking towards Robertson's Homestead site, Wall 6 on right, 306 near trees in background ...... 97
Figure 38: Intact section of full height wall 306 near Robertson's Homestead ....................................................... 98
Figure 39: Tarneit and Truganina Parish Plans, showing Campbell's land and Skeleton Creek water reserve 98
Figure 40: Skeleton Creek water reserve note low dry stone walls in distance. .................................................. 99
Figure 41: View of stone walls from the west side of Skeleton Creek. .................................................................... 100
Figure 42: Stone yards south of water reserve on east side of Skeleton Creek (photo, Bill Strong)................. 100
Figure 43: Evans Farm walls from 1933 Army Survey map........................................................................................ 101
Figure 44: Woods Road wall single 'Galloway Dyke' half wall (623) ...................................................................... 102
Figure 45: Woods Road wall looking north Evans farm on the right. ................................................................... 102
Figure 46: Photograph (painting) of Wesleyan Church ............................................................................................... 103
Figure 47: Triangular block defining the Wesleyan Chapel block ............................................................................. 104
Figure 48: Truganina Baptist church/Presbyterian Chapel? ...................................................................................... 104
Figure 49: Western boundary wall of Wesleyan Chapel block .................................................................................. 105
Figure 50: Plan of stone walls in the Tarneit Area ........................................................................................................ 106
Figure 51: Single section of full height wall on Davis road. ........................................................................................ 106
Figure 52: Parish of Tarneit showing Peppercorn Farm Lot A) and Volant House (lot A1) ................................. 107
Figure 53: Peppercorns farm and walls.......................................................................................................................... 108
Figure 54: Walls around Doherty's and Missen's Tarneit farms from 1933 Army Survey Map ......................... 109
Figure 55: Typical paddock division half wall on Doherty's farm timber post replaced with star picket
causing dislodged stones .................................................................................................................................................. 110
Figure 56: Aerial view of Missen farm showing complex arrangement of walls on Dry Creek ......................... 111
Figure 57: Galloway Dyke single wall beside Dry Creek on Dohertys Road. ....................................................... 112
Figure 58: Looking east along 'The Dips' near Missen's Farm. .................................................................................. 113
Figure 59: Clarkes dam Tarneit ........................................................................................................................................ 114
Figure 60: Clarke's dam from Boundary Road (photo Bill Strong) ........................................................................... 115
Figure 61: Location of ha-ha wall at Werribee Park ..................................................................................................... 116
Figure 62: Ha-ha wall in front of original Werribee Park Homestead (Photo Bill Strong) ................................... 117
Figure 63: Parish Plan Werribee, note 3chain road turns to south, although main route ran straight on
through Chirnside's Section VI. ........................................................................................................................................ 117
Figure 64: Repaired section of Ballan road wall with sugar gums.................................................................................. 118
Figure 65: North west end of Ballan road wall with boundary wall (65) to Wilson property. ............................ 118
Figure 66: Walls at Scott's Black Forest Road farm ...................................................................................................... 119
Figure 67: Scott farmhouse Black Forest Road ............................................................................................................. 119
Figure 68: Stone walls of the Little River Farmers Common note decade of land sales colour coded ......... 121
Figure 69: Characteristic paddock division half wall, north of Narraburra Road (wall 153) ............................... 123
Figure 70: Wall diverging around stony rise on Edgars Road.................................................................................... 123
Figure 71: Example of wall building and preserved half wall with coping intact (wall 731) ................................ 124

Figure 72: Section of wall around stony rise, encroaching on private land (wall 1611)....................................... 124
Figure 73: Walls at corner of McPherson's and Newton's Roads showing dog-leg corner ................................ 124
Figure 74: Ball house ruin little river (photo Wyndham history) ............................................................................... 125
Figure 75: Ball house and farm most walls are combination boxthorn hedge walls........................................ 125
Figure 76: Little River Road / Old Melbourne Road walls heading into Little River. ............................................. 126
Figure 77: Old Melbourne Road wall (639) in foreground and Grass pre-emptive right boundary wall (319) in
background........................................................................................................................................................................... 128
Figure 78: Portion of Parish of Bulban plan showing Synnot's land purchase ...................................................... 129
Figure 79: Walls near Mouyong from Mouyong Road at western end. .................................................................. 130
Figure 80: Staughton's Eynesbury Estate walls ............................................................................................................. 131
Figure 81: Eynesbury ha-ha wall at homestead (photos Red Bubble, and Bill Strong) note: these are not in
Wyndham .............................................................................................................................................................................. 131
Figure 82: Walls beside approach to Staughton's Bridge (photo Bill Strong) ........................................................ 132
Figure 83: Walls around Cobbledicks Ford & Dukelows Road .................................................................................. 133
Figure 84: Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), showing location of original reserve ............................................. 134
Figure 85: Stone half wall and sugar gums along Dukelows Road. ......................................................................... 135
Figure 86: Proposed buffers for walls HO and works exclusion areas. ............................................................... 163
Figure 87: Example of how dry stone walls can be adapted to new developments. ........................................... 173
Figure 88: Cross section example of a road break through a dry stone wall in a new development .............. 173
Figure 89: Diagrams of construction specifications and glossary terms ................................................................ 176
Figure 90: Cross-sections of (left) standard double dry stone wall and (right) a Galloway March dyke.
(Measurements are as a guide only)............................................................................................................................... 177
Figure 91: Characteristic wall near Greek Hill, showing original appearance of intact traditional full height
wall in Keilor-Werribee Plains. .......................................................................................................................................... 177
Figure 92: Unpinned full height wall with small stone coping (with some slumping) at Truganina. ................ 177
Figure 93: Tightly pinned half wall with regular coping at Ravenhall ...................................................................... 178
Figure 94: Loosely pinned half wall with irregular coping at Ravenhall .................................................................. 178
Figure 95: Former Agricultural Research State entrance Werribee: Mortared wall with bare joints simulating
dry stone appearance, corner clipped by vehicle ........................................................................................................ 180
Figure 96: Mortared wall in housing estate entrance in nearby Bridge St South Melton. .................................. 180
Figure 97: Entrance wall at Broadmeadows Valley Park mortared with dry stone appearance .................... 181
Figure 98: Malvern Valley golf course entrance mortared core wall with dry stone appearance ................. 181
Figure 99: Entrance feature at Terang in traditional dry stone wall construction, but larger scale than
usually found in the district. ............................................................................................................................................. 182
Figure 100: Doherty's Road 'Entrance to Mt Cotterell and Cobbledicks Ford Reserve' feature wall designed by
Alistair Tune. ......................................................................................................................................................................... 182
Figure 101: Angliss Estate Boundary Road Derrimut - reconstructed wall with mortared coping stones
partly collapsed .................................................................................................................................................................... 183
Figure 102: Restored traditional dry stone wall sheep yards on, Mt Cottrell Road. ............................................. 183
Figure 103: Mt Cottrell Reserve entrance, reconstructed section of wall with new wall head. ......................... 184

Figure 104: Old wall on Harvest Home Road Epping and replacement wall in front of new service centre. . 184
Figure 105: Plenty Road South Morang accurate reconstruction of Yan Yean Pipe Track wall
http://contextpl.com.au/projects-services/project/plenty-road-drystone-wall/ ................................................... 184
Figure 106: Overnewton gatehouse Keilor reconstructed dry stone wall .............................................................. 185
Figure 107: Lutheran chapel and dry stone wall .......................................................................................................... 185
Figure 108: The stony rises project http://www.netsvictoria.org.au/assets/services/pdf/Stony-Risesexhibition-
description.pdf ..................................................................................................................................................................... 186
Figure 109: Alistair Tune building dry stone wall at St Patrick's College Camperdown ....................................... 212
Figure 110: Paul Middleton of Ballarat with a traditional dry stone wall he has constructed. .......................... 212
Figure 111: Looking towards Robertson's Homestead site, Wall 6 on right, 306 near trees in background ............. 224
Figure 112: Auction poster for Truganina Stud Farm .................................................................................................. 226
Figure 113: Intact section of full height wall 306 near Robertson's Homestead ................................................... 227
Figure 114: HO28 Dry stone walls associated with Robertson's Truganina Estate .............................................. 230
Figure 115: Wall of the wine cellar ................................................................................................................................... 231
Figure 116: View from the west side of Skeleton Creek. ............................................................................................ 233
Figure 117: Stone yards south of water reserve on east side of Skeleton Creek (photo, Bill Strong) .............. 233
Figure 118: HO30 Proposed Heritage Overlay extent for Vineyard Estate, ruins and dry stone walls ............ 236
Figure 119: Skeleton Creek water reserve looking north from Leakes Road (photo Bill Strong) ...................... 237
Figure 120: Skeleton Creek water reserve note low dry stone walls in distance......................................................... 238
Figure 121: HO119 Proposed addition to Skeleton Creek water reserve dry stone walls lining approach road241
Figure 122: Missen House ruin from the east with dry stone wall remnant in left foreground (2013) ........... 242
Figure 123: One of the Missen farm walls: a Galloway Dyke single wall beside Dry Creek on Dohertys Road.243
Figure 124: HO38 Walls proposed for addition to Heritage Overlay for Missens homestead .......................... 246
Figure 125: Doherty's Dry Creek farm with remnant garden landscape. ............................................................... 247
Figure 126: Typical paddock division half wall on Doherty's farm timber post replaced with star picket causing
dislodged stones.................................................................................................................................................................... 249
Figure 127: HO36 Proposed Extent of Doherty's Tarneit Farm walls.............................................................................. 251
Figure 128: Peppercorns farm and walls ....................................................................................................................... 252
Figure 129: Parish of Tarneit showing Peppercorn Farm Lot A) and Volant House (lot A1) ............................... 253
Figure 130: HO9 Proposed addition to include dry stone walls around Peppercorn Farm ............................... 255
Figure 131: Volant House from the air (photo, Bing Maps, bird's eye view) .......................................................... 256
Figure 132: Parish of Tarneit showing Peppercorn Farm Lot A) and Volant House (lot A1) ............................... 256
Figure 133: Wall 772 along Boundary Road east of Shanahans Road .................................................................... 257
Figure 134: HO10 Proposed extension to include stone walls around Volant house ......................................... 259
Figure 135: Entrance to Cobbledicks Ford Reserve (right turn) with dry stone walls along Dukelows Road. 260
Figure 136: Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), showing location of original reserve .......................................... 261
Figure 137: Stone half wall and sugar gums along Dukelows Road. ....................................................................... 263
Figure 138: Cobbledicks Ford Reserve from the air (photo, Bing Maps, bird's eye view) ................................... 263
Figure 139: HO18 Dry stone walls near Cobbledicks Ford, Reserve, house and Bambra Park ......................... 265

Figure 140: Dry stone walls near Mouyong from Mouyong Road at western end. ............................................. 266
Figure 141: Portion of Parish of Bulban plan showing Synnot's land purchase ................................................... 267
Figure 142: HO53 Walls proposed for addition to Mouyong Heritage Overlay .................................................... 270
Figure 143: Photograph (painting) of Wesleyan Church (via Frances Overmars) ................................................. 271
Figure 144: 1905 sale plan for the Truganina Estate, showing church reserve on Boundary Road ................. 272
Figure 145: Truganina Baptist church/Presbyterian Chapel? .................................................................................... 273
Figure 146: Triangular block defining the Wesleyan Chapel block ........................................................................... 273
Figure 147: Western boundary wall of Wesleyan Chapel block ................................................................................ 274
Figure 148: Proposed HO for stone walls around Wesleyan Chapel site and remnant garden wall ............... 276
Figure 149: East side Edgars Road, showing modern reconstructed wall ends at gate. ..................................... 277
Figure 150: Characteristic paddock division half wall, north of Narraburra Road (wall 153) ............................. 277
Figure 151: Little River Farmers Common showing stone walls and colour coded decade of land sales ...... 279
Figure 152: Wall diverging around stony rise on Edgars Road. ................................................................................ 281
Figure 153: Example of wall building and preserved half wall with coping intact (wall 731).............................. 281
Figure 154: Section of wall around stony rise, encroaching on private land (wall 1611). ................................... 281
Figure 155: Walls at corner of McPherson's and Newton's Roads showing dog-leg corner .............................. 282
Figure 156: Proposed HO for stone walls along Edgars Road. .................................................................................. 285
Figure 157: Repaired section of Ballan road wall with sugar gums ............................................................................... 286
through Chirnside's Section VI. ........................................................................................................................................ 287
Figure 159: North west end of Ballan road wall with boundary wall (65) to Wilson property. .......................... 287
Figure 160: Proposed HO for Ballan Road dry stone walls ........................................................................................ 289
Figure 161: Stone walls on south side of Old Melbourne Road near the western end of precinct .................. 290
Figure 162: Proposed HO for Old Melbourne Road Little River Heritage Overlay. .............................................. 292
List of Tables
Table 1: Costs for constructing and repairing dry stone walls .................................................................................... 42
Table 2: Individually assessed dry stone walls Vines 1990b ........................................................................................ 62
Table 3: Mapped and summary assessed dry stone walls Vines 1990b ................................................................... 63
Table 4: Dry stone walls recording fields in Melton study (Moloney et al)). ............................................................. 64
Table 5: Heritage inventory and Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay places in the study area with dry stone
wall components ................................................................................................................................................................... 66
Table 6: Rating system for Kiama study (Mayne Wilson 2001) ................................................................................... 69
Table 7: Dry Stone wall recording fields from various sources. .................................................................................. 73
Table 8: Types of dry stone wall ....................................................................................................................................... 137
Table 9: Length of walls in the City of Wyndham ......................................................................................................... 139
Table 10: Groups of walls with historical associations and cultural landscape values. ....................................... 143
Table 11: Councils in the region which have planning scheme controls for dry stone walls ............................. 149

Table 12: Dry Stone Walls Planning Controls ............................................................................................................. 153
Table 13: Proposed changes to citations for existing Heritage Overlay places to include references to dry
stone walls. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 157

1 Summary
This study was commissioned by the City of Wyndham to identify, record, assess and provide management
recommendations for dry stone walls in the municipality. The study includes a thematic history (Section 4),
recording and assessment methodology (Sections 7 and 8), results of the field survey (Section 9), significance
assessment for the dry stone walls generally (Section 10.3), planning guidelines (Sections 11 and
recommendations (Section 12). Citations for proposed new and extended Heritage Overlay areas which
include dry stone walls are provided in appendix 8)
Dry stone walls are one of the characteristic features of Melbourne's western basalt plains, extending from
Sunbury to Geelong. They were constructed as part of the general fencing of private property, and were
often among the first European constructions on the plains, coming soon after land tenure was established.
Some walls may predate the land sales and relate to the pastoral occupation by squatters such as Clarke,
Staughton, Chirnside and others.
The survey has recorded all accessible and visible dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham, employing a
combination of field survey, aerial photograph interpretation, historical plans and photos and documentary
sources to identify not only surviving walls, but where possible previously existing walls. More than 625
discrete sections of dry stone wall have been recorded, comprising over 300 kilometres of total length. These
form part of more than 1600 walls totaling over 1200 kilometres that have been mapped for comparative
assessment in the wider Keilor Werribee Plains Region. Overall, there are more than 600,000 cubic metres
of stone incorporated into Wyndham's dry stone walls, enough to fill the MCG up to the roof.
The survey data has been compiled in an ARC GIS mapping system, and data exported to a MS Excel
spreadsheet. The documentation of walls in this report provides a summary of date from the mapping and
data sources and has assessed both individual walls and localities where historical associations can be
demonstrated for groups of walls, sometimes in connection with other historic places.
Recommendations propose options for conservation, protection and management of walls through
statutory and non-statutory means.
The process for preparing Precinct Structure Plans is currently underway in parts of the City of Wyndham,
including areas were numerous dry stone walls are present. While there is potential for managing dry stone
walls in the PSP process though provision of compatible land use, reserves and location of infrastructure, the
PSP outcome does still not preclude preservation of particular sections of dry stone walls, as there will be
options for partial retention, relocation and reconstruction of walls or other mitigation measures, during
later planning and design stages including development plans, subdivision plans and functional layout plans
as part of the planning permit process. It is anticipated that where recommendations of this report are
inconsistent with approvals under the PSP process, the latter will take precedence. However, future
development applications within that process may still provide opportunities for conservation of dry stone
walls not identified in the PSPs.
The risk of loss of cultural heritage posed by the urban development occurring in the Metropolitan Growth
Areas within the City of Wyndham, have been identified in a number of previous studies. If good planning
and design outcomes are not developed for managing dry stone walls, it is likely that this important aspect
of Wyndham's heritage will entirely disappear.

1.1 Significance of dry st one w alls
Dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham are of historical and aesthetic significance, and in some cases social
and archaeological or scientific significance for their association with and physical demonstration of the
process of survey, subdivision, alienation and development of land from the period of first land sales, to the
late nineteenth century.
The dry stone walls of the City of Wyndham are of hist or ical significance as the main surviving built fabric
related to the earliest stages of land settlement in Wyndham. The open grasslands in Wyndham, like much
of the basalt plains north and west of Melbourne, were among the first tracts of land occupied by white
settlers from 1835, and by 1840, all of this land had been taken up under pastoral licenses. Some wall
alignments, such as the remains of the long Bulban Road walls, may relate to the creation of vast grazing
paddocks by the first squatters. Such walls separated runs or confined sheep to specific grazing areas,
before survey had established any future property boundaries. The smaller enclosures such as at Mouyong
reflect the management of sheep during shearing, when large numbers had to be penned in one place. The
process of closer settlement, breakup of the pastoral estates and establishment of local farming
communicates in the 1850s to 1870s is also reflected in the pattern of dry stone walls.
Dry stone walls in Wyndham are of aest het ic significance as an intrinsic part of the landscape of the basalt
plains. The walls reflect the underlying geology and highlight the subtle landforms and topography, in what
is mostly a very flat and featureless landscape. The scale of the plains is sometimes best appreciated when
there are stone walls in both foreground and distant views to provide reference points.
The patina, texture, colour and forms of dry stone walls create an important rustic, vernacular aesthetic,
which helps define the character of the region and can contribute to the design and form of future
development and building. The preponderance of bluestone farm and civic buildings in the district is
complemented by dry stone walls of the same stone.
Dry stone walls in the Wyndham area are of scient ific (t echnical) significance as evidence of the wallers'
art and technique, which can be traced to British, Irish and European origins, and specifically adapted to local
conditions, land uses and stone types. The rounded boulder-like stone of the Wyndham area contrasts with
the blocky stone from central Victoria, or the angular vesicular basalt of the Victorian Western District, and
required distinct techniques and designs to form walls that would stand. Sometimes walls have the
appearance of stacks of bowling balls, which remain upright only through the instinctive vernacular skills of
the wall builders.
Technical elaboration such as deep foundation trenching to avoid clay expansion causing collapse, size
selection and stone arrangement to use the sometimes widely varying sizes and types of stone, employment
of throughstones, plugging, and sometimes very heavy coping stones, can all be related to specialised design
intent which has been adapted to the local stone.
In some cases, Wyndham's dry stone walls are also of ar chaeological significance in that closer studying,
recording and assessment can reveal aspects of their original design and construction, and tell us about the
technology and skills of the past.
It should be noted that while Heritage Victoria has reclassified many dry stone walls formerly on the
Victorian Heritage Inventory as 'D' Listed sites on the basis that they do not have archaeological values, in
some cases dry stone walls may have archaeological components, such as evidence of reconstruction,
realignment or may be associated with or overlying other archaeological features.
Wyndham's dry stone walls are of social significance as they remain important to the farming communities
who remain in the district as they often have direct connections to the people who built them, cleared the
lands and established the local communities. While there has not been the extent of repair and

maintenance as in the past, local community members still treasure the walls as an important part of the
social landscape, defining boundaries between properties, and as landmarks for place-making.
The walls have come to be appreciated by the wider community in recent decades resulting in local
recording and restoration activities, such as the construction of the new feature wall to the entrance for the
Mt Cottrell and Cobbledick's Ford area by the Wyndham Road Safety Improvement Group (WRIG).
Individual groups of dry stone walls that are related to a specific historical events, property or activity have
been identified in the study as warranting special consideration. These are generally associated with larger
farming and grazing undertakings, and have resulted in complex networks of dry stone walls which are
associated historically and functionally with the place. Several of these are already included on the City of
Wyndham Heritage Overlay.
1.2 Managem ent r ecom m endat ions
1.2.1 Conser vat ion of dr y st one w alls

It is recommended that all dry stone walls are retained and conserved wherever possible and that the
design of future developments, including those at the Precinct Structure Plan stage should take into account
the walls, and wherever possible, provide compatible land uses such as unstructured open space,
conservation reserves, wide adjoining road verges, or allow retention of walls on frontage property
boundaries by providing alternative rear access.
Where walls cannot be retained or planning and design requirements require the removal of walls, decisions
should be made on the basis of the assessment of significance of walls in the present study as a guiding
principle.
1.2.2 St at ut or y cont r ol
Options for possible statutory control mechanisms are provided in section 12.2. The main mechanisms
available to the City of Wyndham are the dry stone walls provisions under Clause 52.37 of the Wyndham
Planning Scheme to apply to either all walls in the municipality, specified areas containing walls, or individual
walls; and application of a heritage overlay on individual walls. It is recommended that a combination of
these two options is applied:
All dry stone walls identified in this study as having significance graded at levels A to D, should
require a permit under Clause 52.37. An amendment to the schedule to Clause 52.37 would be
required identifying these walls.
Heritage Overlay provisions should be considered for walls identified which are in proximity to, or
associated with, existing heritage overlay areas, the existing overlay extent and statement of
significance should be amended to include the associated dry stone walls. Where a Heritage Overlay
is employed for protection of dry stone walls, these walls should not be identified in the schedule to
Clause 52.37.
The following places, which are currently included in the City of Wyndham Heritage Overlay, are
recommended to be expanded to include the historically associated dry stone walls. In these cases
the existing HO is proposed to be extended to incorporate associated dry stone walls and in some
instances the areas of land between the walls.
HO28 Robertson's Truganina Estate
HO30 Vineyard Estate
HO119 Skeleton Waterholes Reserve
HO38 Missen's farm

HO36 Doherty's Dry Creek Tarneit farm
HO9 Peppercorns
HO10 Volant house
HO18 Cobbledicks Ford and Reserve
HO53 Mouyong
The following places and associated dry stone walls are recommended to be included in the
Heritage Overlay.
Wesleyan Chapel site
Little River Farmers Common stone walls
Ballan Road walls
Melbourne Road walls
1.2.3 Per m it s and consent s

Statutory approval should be sought for any places in a Heritage Overlay, on the Victorian Heritage Register,
or Victorian Heritage Inventory, or included in the schedule to Clause 52.37, that are likely to be impacted by
future buildings and works including demolition.
A Permit from Heritage Victoria is required for any works impacting dry stone walls within places
listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
A Consent to Disturb will be required for any works impacting dry stone walls within places listed on
the Victorian Heritage Inventory.
A Planning permit will be required for any construction, alteration or demolition effecting dry stone
walls within places included in the Heritage Overlay in the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
A planning permit will be required to remove, demolish or alter any dry stone wall included in the
schedule of land covered by Clause 52.37 of the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
Where a permit is issued, it is recommended that archival recording and documentation is carried out and
authentic reconstruction of walls elsewhere is carried out, reusing the dismantled stone.
Preference should be given to retaining walls in accordance with the scaled assessment in the Dry Stone
Walls Study and as shown in this report in Appendix 6 Maps of all dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham.
1.2.4 Fur t her invest igat ions

Some aspects of Wyndham's dry stone walls may still warrant further research and investigation.
Painstaking correlation of land title records, with newspaper accounts and family history has been beyond
the scope of this study, but can provide detailed and sometimes highly specific information about land use
and development. It is therefore recommended that if circumstances permit, further historical research is
compiled in reference to dry stone wall construction and maintenance, and this is made publically available
in a suitable place, such as local library and/or the State Library of Victoria.
1.2.5 Educat ion and int er pr et at ion

Information should be published on the Wyndham City Council website, and in printed form for
distribution to residents, on the heritage values of dry stone walls, and protection measures. These
may include guidelines for restoration and maintenance of dry stone walls

A self-drive heritage tour of general locations with dry stone walls should be prepared. This should
avoid identification of individual wall locations, unless these can be properly managed in terms of
protecting the wall, ensuring safe traffic and pedestrian management and respecting private
property rights and occupants' privacy.
An exhibition of display might be prepared in conjunction with local heritage and land care groups
to promote the study, its recommendations, and the values of dry stone walls. This could be
installed in council offices, libraries and other public venues. Liaison with the Dry Stone Walls
Association would be of advantage as they have previously prepared exhibitions on this subject.
A new traditional style dry stone wall constructed as an instructional and interpretive display could
be erected in the grounds of the Wyndham Civic Centre in conjunction with interpretive and
information panels.
A register of potential dry stone wall professionals both for providing heritage conservation and
planning advice, and providing technical and practical stone wall restoration services, should be
established, and the information made available to property owners

2 Introduction
Cultural heritage legislation protecting historical heritage places exists at the local, state and
national level. The legislation reflects community concerns for the conservation and preservation
of history, culture and environmental qualities, generally as reflected in cultural heritage places,
landscape, objects and collections. Heritage places can provide us with important information
about past lifestyles and cultural change. Preserving and enhancing these important and non-
renewable resources is encouraged.
Dry stone walls are a part of that heritage, and while their spread across the landscape makes
them both ubiquitous and difficult to manage, their value to the community is demonstrated in
histories, heritage studies and local community publications and events.
The Werribee plains (sometimes referred to by the Aboriginal term "Iramoo" plains) are part of a
unique environment of the Victorian Western Basalt Pains. This landscape has been recognised
by a wider audience for its natural and historic values only in recent decades through the work of
early botanical surveys such as Keith McDougall's "Sites of botanical significance in the western
region of Melbourne" and Neville Rosengren's "Sites of Geological and Geomorphological
Significance" (now both 25 years old), through the efforts of many community organisations
including the Truganina Land Care Group (and other land care groups), Living Museum of the
West and the former Western Region Environment network.
Dry stone walls are a characteristic element of the landscape of Melbourne's northern and
western rural fringes. They have been identified in numerous heritage studies as part of the
cultural heritage of these regions. Dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham have been identified as
an important part of the cultural heritage over many years. More recently the Wyndham North
Heritage Strategy (2013), which includes sites in Tarneit, Truganina and Mount Cottrell, has
highlighted the importance of dry stone walls in the areas under development and for which
Precinct Structure Plans are currently being prepared. The Wyndham North Heritage Strategy
recommended that more studies be conducted by Wyndham City Council into the importance of
dry stone walls so that we are better able to protect them.
It is in this context that the present study is being undertaken.
2.1 Project background
Biosis Pty Ltd was commissioned in July 2013, by the Wyndham City Council to undertake a
heritage study of dry stone walls in the municipality.
The aim of this assessment is to examine the historical cultural heritage of the study area and to
develop recommendations to enable Wyndham City Council to plan for future residential,
commercial and infrastructure development in the municipality. The study identifies all dry stone
walls in the municipality, including mapping and analysis of their significance.
The brief for the project identified several objectives including:
The Study will assist Council in conserving and promoting dry stone walls within Council
and to the community. The study will map and identify all remaining dry stone walls and
assess their significance, and ensure that Council is better placed to manage and protect
the heritage values of Wyndham.

The study must be consistent with Councils objectives relating to heritage conservation
contained within the Wyndham Planning Scheme, and be supported by the policy
direction and values contained within the Melbourne Metropolitan Strategy.
The study results will provide guidance to land holders in the management of the
identified walls, through recommendations for retention and the development of
appropriate planning controls and guidelines.
City of Wyndham has recently prepared landscape context guidelines, which identified dry stone
walls as a key component in the rural cultural landscape. Walls in the city have also been
recognised for the aesthetic, practical and environmental values.
Rapid population growth along with expanding residential development and associated
infrastructure is changing the landscape, with dry stone walls regularly impacted by such
development. Public appreciation of the landscape has also increased paradoxically as
development puts more pressure on that landscape. In trying to balance development with
maintaining the values of the municipality, Council requires suitable guidance in managing these
impacts to dry stone walls.
The role of dry stone walls in the landscape is an important aspect of their significance. That is,
rather than look at walls in isolation, their individual qualities should also be assessed on the
context of the surrounding landscape. This is similar to the approach adopted for the Melton Dry
stone walls assessment project.
Promotion of dry stone walls within Council and to the community is an important aspect of the
study, so that the resulting reports, documentation, mapping and interpretive material are
focussed on these end users.
2.1.1 Locat ion and descr ipt ion of t he st udy ar ea
The Wyndham Dry Stone Walls Study is intended to cover the entire municipality of Wyndham. In
practice, some areas which are unlikely to retain dry stone walls, such as the alluvial delta of
Werribee South market garden areas, and the heavily urbanised areas, do not require the level of
survey and assessment at other rural areas where stone walls are more likely to be present.
The extent of the study area is shown in Figure 1.
The study area is within the Parishes of Mouyong, Werribee, Tarneit, Truganina, Bulban,
Mambourin, Deutgam, Cocoroc, and a small part of Balliang, in the County of Bourke. While the
overall study area comprising the City of Wyndham covers 542 square kilometres, from Altona to
Little River, extending about 25 km north to south and 30 km east to west, the area which
contains dry stone walls is considerably less as the alluvial delta of the Werribee River, the highly
developed parts of Werribee and its surrounding residential areas, and some areas of deeply
weathered soils do not have dry stone walls. The main extents of historical and surviving dry
stone walls are concentrated in the north of the municipality at Tarneit/Truganina, to the west at
Mt Cottrell and Cobbledicks Ford, and the south west near Little River.
2.2 Consult at ion
Before undertaking surveys for historical heritage places there is a statutory requirement to
notify Heritage Victoria the State government agency responsible for historical cultural heritage
places. The protection and management of Aboriginal archaeological places and sites is
addressed under the provisions of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and Aboriginal Heritage
Regulations 2009

A Notice of intention to carry out an Archaeological Survey was not required by Heritage Victoria
for this project as the work did not constitute an archaeological survey in accordance with Section
131(1) of the Heritage Act 1995.1
A number of local people have specialist knowledge of dry stone walls and provided generous
input into the study. These included:
Frances Overmars, Pinkerton Landcare and environment Group
Les Sanderson & Peter Jones, Little River historical Society
Lance Pritchard, Werribee District Historical Society
Alistaire Tune, David Long, professional dry stone wallers
Consultation has included discussions regarding potential sources for the history of individual
properties, dry stone walls and wall builders. It has also entailed discussions regarding issues
with preservation and maintenance of stone walls. Professional dry stone wallers have been
consulted to determine appropriate and management methods for repair and reconstruction of
stone walls.
Wyndham council undertook a formal consultation process when the draft study had been
completed. Copies of the study were made available to stakeholders and responses were
received from a number of groups and individuals in October 2014. Responses were then
collated by Wyndham staff and feedback provided to the consultant for consideration and
amendment of the draft report.
Responses were received from the following groups and individuals:
David Wixted, Heritage Alliance in capacity as Wyndham heritage advisor.
Frances Overmars, Pinkerton Landcare and Environment Group
Jim Holdsworth, President, Dry Stone Walls Association
Les Sanderson, president, Little River Historical Society
Peter and Sue Jones, Little river residents
Sarah North, Reeds Consulting for owners of 283 Woods Rd Truganina
Wendy Bitans, resident
Craig Ondarchie MP, Parliamentary secretary to the Premier
Joseph Nasr on behalf of Denis Family Corporation
Comments on the draft ranged from general letters of support, to specific items of additional
information and corrections, to concerns for the impact of stone wall conservation on future
development.
Specific issues raised regarding corrections, additions or views on heritage value and significance
have been incorporated into the study and referenced accordingly.
1 Pers. com. 8/2/14 Brandi Burgh Heritage Victoria.

Figure 1: Location of the study area.

3 Background information
3.1 Planning cont ext
A large proportion of the City of Wyndham is located within the Metropolitan Urban Growth
boundary. As a result there is a large amount of Greenfield development being undertaken. The
City of Wyndham is currently involved in a number of Precinct Structure Plan processes with the
Metropolitan Planning Authority (MPA), which were formerly undertaken under the Growth Areas
Authority (GAA). The effect of this Greenfield development is that a number of dry stone walls
within the municipality are at risk of being demolished.
In addition, the City of Wyndham has previously undertaken a number of heritage studies within
the municipality including the "City of Wyndham Heritage Study" (Context Pty Ltd 1997); City of
Wyndham - Review of Heritage Sites of Local Significance (Peter Andrew Barrett August 2004);
Werribee Growth Areas Heritage Report (Andrew Ward and Associates 1990); and Wyndham
North Heritage Strategy (Heritage Alliance 2013).
There have also been several heritage assessments specific to individual Precinct Structure Plan
areas. A number of these studies have identified some sections of dry stone walls as being of
potential heritage value.
3.2 Environm ent al back ground
The study area lies on a basalt plain created by lava flows in the late Quaternary Period, two to
five million years ago. Cowies Hill, Greek Hill, Green Hill (or Mount Mary), Spring Hill and (outside
the municipality) Mt Cottrell are among a number of eruption points, mostly taking the form of
broad shield volcanoes.
These volcanoes are some of about 400 inactive eruption points that are part of Victorias 'Newer
Volcanic Province, which stretches from the Darebin Creek to near the South Australian border.
The tongues of lava emanating from eruption points of these Lava Shield volcanoes filled the
former valleys and plains, and hardened into basalt, covering the Ordovician and Silurian
sediments s up to 45 metres deep. 2 According to Rosengren, 'irregularities on the plain surface
usually mark the edges of individual lava flows and the course of small streams such as Skeleton
Creek, is guided by the flow boundaries'. 3
The soils on the basalt plain are typically newer volcanic, with a heavy textured clay. This clay, 10
to 60 centimetres thick, lies on the impervious layer of basalt and its poor drainage has led to the
formation of the swampy areas common to the volcanic grasslands. Most of the study area lies
on the basalt plain, although the south east from Werribee to the Bay shore comprises alluvial
and marine sediments. Deeper soils are also found on the flatter weathered plains and shallow
depressions, while areas of more varied topography such as the lava flows and incised creek
channels tend to have shallow soils and more surface rock. 4 These are the areas more likely to
have dry stone walls.
2 Stewart, G, The Newer Volcanics lava field between Deer Park and the Werribee River, Geological Survey of
Victoria, Unpublished Report 1977/26, 1977, pp.4, 7.
3 Rogengren, N. Sites of Geomorphological Significance in the Western Region of Melbourne, p.14
4 Rosengren 1986:12

Before European settlement the dominant vegetation on the basalt plain would have been
Kangaroo grass (Themeda trianda Australis), with a number of other herbs and grasses, such as
Poa labillardieri and Danthonia spp, also present, particularly in the low-lying areas.5 The growth
of these grasslands may have been encouraged by the Aboriginal practice of systematic burning
to open up the land for hunting and encouraged the open grasslands that were so attractive to
European settlers.
Riparian woodland and scrub would have been the predominant creek-side vegetation.
Waterways would have been thinly wooded with River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camendulensis), River
Bottlebrush (Callistemon paludosa) with rushes and reeds (Phragmites Australis) occupying the
saturated ground and creek-edges. Remnant native grasslands often survive on the uncultivated
stony ground where dry stone walls are also prevalent. 6
Figure 2: Geological Survey of Victoria, Melbourne 1:250 000 sheet SJ55-5 (1970)
5 McDougall 1987: 14).

6 McDougall 1987

4 Historical Background
4.1 Explor at ion & sur vey
Hume and Hovell were probably the first Europeans to observe the basalt plains country west of
the future site of Melbourne in 1824, although Charles Grimes had mapped the coast of Port
Phillip Bay and ventured up the navigable sections of the Maribyrnong and Yarra Rivers in 1803.
Another of Grimes Party, James Flemming, kept a diary which described the landscape:
Thursday, 3rd.At six o'clock the captain, Mr. Grimes, self, and five seamen went in the boat up the
Great River; at between two and three miles it divided into two; we took the left hand stream (the
Maribyrnong) at half-past eight o'clock. The land became high, where we landed and went on a hill.
The soil a reddish loam from ten to fifteen inches deep. Saw a large lagoon at a distance. "Went over
the hill to a large swamp. Soil black, eighteen inches, with blue clay at bottom. No trees for many
miles. Came to the boat and proceeded on; passed two dingles; no water; came to a third where we
found some water, where we dined and proceeded on. Opposite this the land is stony soil, stiff blue
clay, and no trees only some straggling oaks by the side of the riverwent about two miles on the
hills which are level at top and full of stones, the land very bad, and very few trees, and appeared so
to the mountains, which appeared clothed with timber
The absence of trees, clay soil and stony ground is clear from his descriptions, but the abundant
grass also did not go un-noticed. However, Grimes report was not complementary to the area
and he recommended against settlement.7
The first white settlers in the Wyndham district were from John Batman's group of settlers as part
of the Port Phillip Association undertaking 1835 which parcelled out the land around Port Phillip
Bay to their members. Association members Anthony Cotterell, John Collicot, Edward Tice
Gellibrand and John Helder Wedge were allotted strips of land on the west side of Port Phillip
Bay, extending from the Maribyrnong River to the western edge of the basalt plains and south to
near Geelong. Cotterell gave his name to the nearby Mount Cottrell (the 'e' being dropped
somewhere along the way).
While the Port Phillip Association members were not accorded legal title to the land which
Batman claimed to have purchased from the Aborigines, several of them stayed on, including
Joseph Solomon, Wedge, Cotterell, Pinkerton and Robertson, obtaining squatting licences with
the eventual consent of the colonial Government, and improving the land for sheep raising.
Wedge was the first Vandemonian to bring sheep over and settle into the newly acquired Port
Phillip District, setting up a pastoral run near the Werribee or River Exe. His brother Edward
Davey Wedge took over the run in 1840, but drowned with his wife and eldest son in the 1852
flood. Collicot appears to have only been an investor, and never occupied his allocation.
Gellibrand disappeared in the Otway Ranges during an exploration tour. Cotterell established
himself as an agent and auctioneer, but returned to Tasmania in 1840.
Initially the Wyndham area was passed through by travellers between the better watered country
around Melbourne and Geelong with Greeves' Golden Fleece Inn established at the Werribee
River ford in 1838 to serve their needs. 8 George Coppock was the first licensee of the Travellers'
7 Shillinglaw, John J. A journal of the exploration of Charles Grimes, 1802-1803 / by James Flemming. Published City
of Footscray Historical Society. c.1984.
8 James 1985: 14

Rest in 1839, later rebuilt as the Rothwell Inn, and the main Little River township on the
Melbourne-Geelong track.
Figure 3: 1836 Wedge map showing land claimed by Port Phillip Association 9
By 1837 the Werribee region was already heavily stocked with sheep and cattle as far inland as 40
km from the coastline. 10 The initial surveys were conducted by Wedge and Darke in about 1838,
defining the country into a regular grid of 640 acre blocks (one square mile), except where
provision had to be made for natural features and existing travelling routes. Natural features are
rare in this district, Werribee River, Little River, Skeleton Creek and the low volcanic ridges and
cones providing the only relief. The main route identified on the early plans as a track from
Geelong to Melbourne, which ran roughly parallel to the existing highway, but about a kilometre
to the north. 11
Three village reserves, at Werribee, Rothwell (Little River) and Laverton were surveyed in small
lots. Farm lots, ranging in size from 43 to 168 acres by 1850, were surveyed on the better soils to
encourage agriculture in the Werribee area from the late 1840s onwards. 12 However, crop-
raising was severely limited by the low rainfall.
9 Wedge, John Helder, 1793-1872. Map of Port Phillip from the survey of Mr. Wedge and others1836State Library
MAP RM 3595.
10 James 1985: 6; Serle 1985: 17
11 Parish of Werribee, Central Plans Office
12 James 1985: 21; Ronald 1978: 36

Figure 4: Plan of squatting runs in the settled district (Spreadborough & Anderson)
4.2 Squat t er s
In response to the need to regulate the uncontrolled settlement, the New South Wales
Government issued authorization for settlement of the Port Phillip District in September 1836. By
the time Governor Bourke had been dispatched from Sydney, the illegal occupation was already
sufficiently established to make any reversal impossible, so the New South Wales administration
created this formal mechanism for licencing pastoral occupation. Control and administration of
settlement was a headache for the early colonial administration and a distinction was made
between the Settled District of Port Phillip, and the outer stations. It has been suggested that: '...
it was the early squatters who were permitted to become 'free' selectors, choosing and learning
about their land with a fair degree of independence from official control'. 13
Because of the large size of these tracts of land and the nature of the 'farming', the boundaries of
the squatting runs were poorly defined, generally following natural features such as creeks and
lakes or simply marked by plough lines, furrows or blazed trees and sometimes, by wooden
hurdle type fencing. Boundaries were often the subject of disputes. By the mid-1850s the colonial
government employed surveyors to mark out the boundaries of squatting runs. 14 The licences to
squatting runs were purchased and semi-permanent buildings were erected. However, the
squatter's constructions seldom included fences. After a pastoral run had been occupied for a
13 Spreadborough & Anderson 1983: ix

14 McLellan 1989

minimum of five years, a Pre-Emptive Right may be granted to allow a squatter to retain his
homestead and improvements and not have to compete at auction. 15
James Austin took up the Black Forest or Werribee Plains Run in 1838, south west of Werribee
township. This was transferred to Dr Alexander Thomson and William Armstrong in 1847, and
then John Armstrong in 1850. 16 James Anderson and settled at Lollypop Ponds in 1848. This was
immediately west of Werribee township and where he obtained a pre-emptive right of 320 acres.
Henry Grass and North had the Little River Station from 1838, also transferring it to John
Armstrong in 1852. 17 A small group of squatters therefore gained inordinate control of lands
around Wyndham.
George Paul Greeves, who had erected the Golden Fleece Inn, obtained a run of 12 square miles
of the River Exe or Werribee Station run in about 1840, selling the lease to James Austin in 1852.
John Aitkin had the run to the north Skeleton Waterholes (on Skeleton Creek) about the same
time. 18 Alfred Langhorne held the Laverton run of 13000 acres from 1836. 19
Simon Staughton arrived in Australia with his family in 1841 and obtained a series of pastoral
licences for land between Melton, Bacchus Marsh and the Brisbane Ranges. He initially set up at
Exford near Melton. His Brisbane Range and Exford Run of over 70000 acres, was licenced "12
months prior to New south Wales Orders In Council in October 1847", indicating he had official
occupancy from at least 1846, but was probably grazing sheep across much of the Werribee
Plains from the early 1840s.20
Staughton was one of the district's earliest permanent settlers, arriving in Melbourne in 1841 and
taking over Dr. John Watton's pastoral lease on the Werribee River (then known as the Exe) in
June 1842. He built his homestead at the junction of the Werribee River and Toolern Creek calling
it Exford and accumulated large tracts of land in the Western Region as well as on the Darling
River in NSW. His will divided the estate into the separate Exford, Eynesbury and Staughton Vale
estates, for each of his sons to run.
Although not the most prominent landowner in the Wyndham Shire, William J T Clarke had large
tracts of freehold in Tarneit and Truganina Parishes. He initially obtained a Special Survey of 140
square miles in the Sunbury area, with a right to depasture stock on an equivalent area of Crown
Land in 1852. His subsequent land holdings overlapped the Chirnside and Staughton Estates.
W.J.T. Clarke obtained vast areas of the basalt plains through squatting licences, purchase at
auction stretching from Sunbury to the Macedon Ranges and south to Werribee. Many blocks
purchased by other farmers or speculators also became part of Clarke's empire when they were
resold. He had his mansion "Rupertswood" in Sunbury, but owned land as far south as Werribee
including the "Rockbank" and "Deanside" pastoral estates between. These estates were managed
for grazing sheep and so beyond construction of fencing, and the homestead and shearing shed
blocks, little in the way of building improvements was carried out.
Thomas Chirnside, arrived in Sydney in 1839 and acquired livestock and drove them south to
Adelaide and established a station at Mt William with his brother Andrew. 21 In 1851 Thomas
15 Kiddie 1967: 165

16 Spreadborough & Anderson p.263
17 Spreadborough & Anderson p.269, section V Parish of Werribee.
21 Ronald 1978: 20-21

bought the pastoral licence for 14,000 acres on the Werribee River upstream of Wedge's run. He
also acquired Thomas Augustus Gibb's 7000 acre run in Tarneit Parish, and subsequently bought
up river frontage land on both sides of the Werribee River, to lock out other potential settlers. He
then persuaded other owners of poorly watered allotments to sell to him. In this way the
brothers eventually controlled over 90,000 acres.22
In response, land owners had to seek alternate sources of water, such as damning or diverting
creeks and sinking wells. For example around 1847, a Mr Wilson (probably Alexander Wilson who
bought section XIX Parish of Werribee in the first land sales) sunk the first well to a depth of 40
feet. This proved so successful that Thomas Chirnside reputedly sunk his own well on his
Werribee run. 23 Such wells are rare and often associated with stone walls to control stock access.
Other examples have been found at Robertson's Truganina Estate on Skeleton Creek, and near
Robinson's Road at Ravenhall.
William Taylor was the major squatter and landowner north of Clarke's holdings, with his
Overnewton Estate at Keilor, but he also held land in the Truganina area. He arrived in Port Phillip
in 1840 and had interests in other squatting runs before purchasing the Overnewton lease in
1849. 24
Often the paddocks around the pastoral stations or home stations were the first areas to be
fenced in the new colony. Chirnside's Point Cook and Werribee Park homesteads had dry stone
walls in some parts, but being on the delta lands near the coast, there was little stone around, so
it had to be carted from quarries north of the Geelong Road. A most elaborate example is the ha-
ha wall (a sunken wall set as one side of a ditch to keep stock from the main house paddock
without interrupting the views) constructed around the early homestead and possibly attributed
to famous garden designer William Guilfoyle. 25
Figure 5: Ha-ha wall Werribee Park 26
22 Ronald 1978: 39; Serle 1985: 17

23 Ronald 1978: 39
24 Peel:131; St. Albans 100 Committee 1998:9,45
25 Allom Lovell Sanderson Pty Ltd (with Jessie Serle) ,Werribee Park Metropolitan Park Conservation Analysis prepared
for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works in 1985,
26 Wiliewonka on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/87791108@N00/2225961012/)

Staughton's Exford (outside the study area) and Eynesbury had lambing paddocks with stone
walls, while Eynesbury had its own ha-ha wall. 27
Ultimately, a few landholders held a very large proportion of Wyndham grazing lands. Only the
Parish of Truganina seems to have escaped their domination. Here the small farmers seem to
have had greater scope, either because of the working Closer Settlement Acts, or because land
sales were a little later, after the big pastoral empires had been established. In the 1970s
Lynnette Peel mapped the large purchases of the three main squatters on the Keilor - Werribee
Plains, showing graphically how they controlled more than half the grazing land between them.
This map, however, does not include land which was subsequently purchased privately. 28
Figure 6: Plan of main squatters land purchases on Keilor - Werribee Plains29
27 Wyndham City Libraries, Eynesbury Homestead, Eynesbury Road, Eynesbury, Wyndham History, accessed
March 3, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/278.
28 Peel, L. J. Rural Industry in the Port Phillip Region 1835-1880, MUP. 1974, p.60
29 Peel 1974 p.60

4.3 Select ors & set t lers
Growing democracy in the Australian colonies, especially after the Eureka Rebellion resulted in
demands to 'unlock the land' being heard in the Victorian parliament, 30 led to a series of new
bills in the 1860s, aimed at creating closer settlement by releasing smaller parcels of land which
would be affordable to farmers and selectors. A key task involved breaking up the vast grazing
estates.
The Duffy Land Act of 1862, allowed for blocks of land between 40 and 640 acres to be purchased
at 1 per acre, with conditions that land improvements; including cultivation, construction of a
residence or fencing, were undertaken within the first year. However, loopholes were exploited
that relieved subsequent purchasers from undertaking improvements, resulting in dummying,
and other schemes used by squatters to keep control.
The Grant Land Act 1865 attempted to rectify some of the previous problems through selection
of allotments before survey and deferred payment. Sectors had to live on their land for a
minimum of three years and spend 1 per acre on improvements within two years before being
granted the land. 31 Fencing was one of the most important of these improvements, with many of
the selection files recording the type, length and condition, and often cost of fencing undertaken
to meet grant conditions.
However, the squatters still had the benefit of cash reserves, with Chirnside, Clarke and Taylor
consolidating their holdings by buying up many of the other small private blocks by 1892. 32
Some of the slightly more arable land in the district was reserved from sale in the early auctions,
but leased and sold later under the closer settlement schemes aimed at getting more farmers on
the land. Prior to this few people lived in the area, with occasional outstations of the big estates
and roadside inns and blacksmiths serving travellers. With the sale of smaller landholdings, and
the compulsion to undertake improvements, nuclear communities surrounded by farms could
be established.
The ability of the land to support agriculture must have been recognised by the initial surveyors
as various areas were marked on the early plans accordingly. They were subsequently surveyed
and subdivided for 'agricultural lots' or the less specific, 'Suburban & country lands' 33
As the granting of land under the 1860s Land Acts was based on a progressive lease, the final
transfer did not occur for many years, so the dates of purchase recorded on parish plans are
generally a decade or so after the property was first settled. Land sales in most of the Wyndham
Parishes were by crown land auctions in the 1850s.
30 Raffaello Carboni. The Eureka Stockade, Currey O'Neil, Blackburn, Vic., 1980.
31 Kiddie 1967: 246
32 County of Bourke Atlas 1892, Victorian Shire Map Company
33 Suburban & country lands in the Parishes of Mambourin and Cocoroc, County of Grant [cartographic material].
Melbourne : Public Lands Office [1859] State Library Victoria

Figure 7: Plan showing extent of freehold estates in Western Region in 1880 34
34 Peel1974.

Figure 8: Former City of Werribee with parishes (pink) and county boundaries (green line dividing Bourke and
Grant).
The village of Wyndham was proclaimed in 1861, at the crossing of the River Ex (later Exe and
now Werribee River) just downstream of Greeves Station, where the earliest tracks forded the
river.
The Wyndham District Roads Board was proclaimed by the Office of Roads and Bridges in 1862,
covering an area similar to the current City of Wyndham, with the exception of the Parish of
Mouyong to the west. This was additional to a previous proclamation covering just Deutgam and
Mambourin, around the Werribee township. 35
Provision of the first fences in the new Australian colonies was usually based on some form of
split timber post-and-rail, vertical timber slabs or other primitive paling material. 36
The exodus to the gold-rushes in the 1850s made it difficult and expensive for squatters to retain
labour for shepherding. The extensive survey, subdivision and sale of Crown land in the early
1850s provided security of tenure to pastoralists, and incentive for them to invest in major
improvements, including permanent fences, on their stations.
Gold rush prosperity, however, created wealth that enabled land-owners to make improvements,
while the slow return of unsuccessful diggers to the labour pool meant that construction of
boundary and paddock fencing gathered momentum after the mid 1850s.
35 Victorian Government Gazette 123, Tuesday, October 14th 1862 Page: 1978
36 Kerr, 1984; Allan Willingham, The Dry Stone Walls in the Corangamite Region: A Brief History, in Corangamite Arts
Council Inc, If These Walls Could Talk, Report of the Corangamite Dry Stone Walls Conservation Project, Terang, 1995,
p.44

4.3.1 Land sales
Much of the land in the original Shire of Wyndham area (roughly corresponding to the present
City of Wyndham) was sold at auction between June and December 1854. The rather dry nature
of the country between Melton and Werribee appears to have delayed settlement considerably
and most of the land in the Parishes in the vicinity (Mouyong, Werribee, Tarneit, Truganina,
Bulban, Mambourin, Deutgam, Cocoroc, part of Balliang) became part of the large pastoral
estates of the Chirnside brothers, W.J.T. Clarke and Simon Staughton, who bought up blocks
strategically to dissuade new settlers or speculators at auctions.
4.3.2 Cont aining st r ays and disease

Before the plains were fully fenced, containing livestock from straying was a problem for the
graziers, their shepherds, farmers and the shire. Reserves for impounding stray stock had been
established early, with a pound keepers hut or house and a couple of fenced paddocks near a
water supply established at more than forty inland sites by 1851. 37
William Crook was pound keeper on the upper Werribee in 1848, and from the advertisements
for impounded stock to be removed, had a busy time of it, with up to a dozen horses and cows in
the pound at any one time. 38 George Scarborough was pound keeper for Melton at Mount
Cottrell Road in 1854, but clearly had stock wandering from the present Wyndham area.
Although the squatters were often annoyed by having to paying fees to retrieve their beasts, the
pounds became well known gathering places, for the bullock drivers, carriers, pastoralists and
farmers in search of strays. 39
Private impounding also seem to have occurred, for example, when animals were impounded on
the Little River and Duck Ponds Farmers Common in 1864 although these may have been shire
pound keepers placing stock in more convenient locations. 40
The outbreak of the highly contagious sheep disease, scab, and the cattle disease pleuro-
pneumonia, reached epidemic proportions in the 1850s and 60s. The need to isolate properties
from travelling or straying stock led many graziers to improve their fencing on pastoral leases
and fully fence their freehold properties. 41 Local farmers' commons also were used less to avoid
cross infection. 42 The 'scab' disease could only be treated by time-consuming extreme remedies
such as immersion in corrosive sublimate and scraping with an iron hoop, scarifying the sheeps
skin and, more successfully, multiple dippings in a hot compound of tobacco and sulphur. The
1862 legislation intended to control the spread of scab failed, and was followed in 1864 by an Act
which appointed inspectors and introduced dipping procedures. Further Acts resulted in the
complete eradication of the disease in Victoria during the 1870s. 43
37 Priestley, Susan, The Victorians: Making Their Mark (Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates, McMahons Point, 1984),
pp. 68-9
38 "Advertising." The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 10 Oct 1848: 4. Web. 21 Feb 2014
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4772759>.
39 Government Gazette 1854
40 "IMPOUNDIN GS." The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946) 10 Dec 1864: 15. Web. 21 Feb 2014
41 Kerr
42 Victorian Parliamentary Papers, 1864, p.94 ; John Chandler, Michael Canon, Forty Years in the Wilderness (Loch
Haven, Main Ridge, 1990), p.175
43 Falla, RP, Scab Disease in Sheep: An Historical Study, Donald History & N atural History Group, 1963, p. 1

Neil Black at Glenormiston in the Western District and George Russell near Geelong were both
early adopters of extensive fencing to limit disease, Russell obtaining five miles of wire as: the
importance of fencing is becoming every year more apparent.44
4.3.3 Far m er s com m ons and t enant s

One aspect of the Duffy Land Act in 1862 45 was the creation of farmers commons, intended to
provide common land for local farmers to graze their livestock (and in particular cattle) for an
annual licence fee. Many of the settlers in the Wyndham Area came from Scottish families, where
a common area of land for grazing purposes was part of the traditional crofting practices of the
Highlands. In arguing for the creation of farmers' commons in the district, the small farmers
pointed out that the farming land at Little River was of such poor quality that the income made
through cropping was insufficient and that common land was necessary to raise animals for sale
to provide a supplementary income. In 1858 farmers in the Little River district formed the Little
River Farmers' Association to "protect farmers' commons from the depredations of Squatters
Grant and Chirnside". 46
The United Farmers Common of Little River and Duck Ponds at the You Yangs was proclaimed on
8 March 1861, and gazetted in 1863 after several years of agitation by local farmers. 47 A series of
managers were appointed from the inception of the Common up until at least the 1890s. 48 John
Rees, a local farmer, and later MLA for Grant, played a major role in this agitation. Rees argued in
December 1860 that district residents should "enjoy the same right to depasture stock on the
waist (sic) lands of the Crown as is accorded to the squatter and wealth landowners". 49
At Rothwell, the low population density, said to be four persons and one inhabited dwelling in
1861 dramatically increased by 1865 when crown land sales, and leasing by the large estate
owners led to the establishment of a farming community by 1865 when the population was said
to be 1,500, and the number of dwellings 160. 50 This sizeable population, however, was largely
unable to secure any land of their own. Through the land sales and leasing arrangements, the
small selectors and farmers held only 10,000 acres collectively while five squatters held 80,000
acres between them in the area. 51 The common covered 20,000 acres and extended from below
the railway line to Bulban Road, Edgars Road and Newton Road. Conflicts between the Commons'
farmers and the squatters in the district, such as the Chirnside's ensued. For example in February
1863, John Rees complained that at least 70 head of cattle were missing from the Bulban
Common , some having been found in a pound 20 miles away, while "at the same time
thousands of the Squatters Sheep is allowed quietly to graze on the common". 52
The Wyndham Shire Council tried to settle the disputes between squatters and farmers over right
to use Crown Land by establishing a pound, while the Shire President, Patrick Kelly, founded a
44 Willingham, op. cit., p.45

45 For this Act see Kiddle, Men of Yesterday, pp. 264-273 and Powell, The Public Lands of Australia Felix, pp. 88-118.
46 Prayers and pastures: Moidart emigrants in Victoria, 1852-1920 by Michael John Murray (B Ed) Doctor of
Philosophy Deakin University N ovember 2006, citing The Historical Sub-Committee of The Centenary Celebrations
Council, pp. 128-9.
47 N ews of the Week, 14 October 1909.
48 Cazalys Contractor Reporter, 8 October 1912; Wynd, I., So Fine A Country, Shire of Corio, 1981, pp.160161.
49 Wyndham City Libraries, Little River farmers common Edgars Road (east side), Little River, Wyndham History,
accessed February 28, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/283.
50 Wynd, So Fine a Country, p. 126.

Wyndham Ratepayers Association in 1875 with the aim of protecting farmers against the
enclosing of public roads. However, much of the district common land was opened for selection
in this period.53
Rothwell Reserve (originally Bulban Reserve), at Little River is a small remnant of the former
common. It is shown on an early map as "Commons". Area north of the Little River is in the Parish
of Bulban, south of the Little River being in the Parish of Murtcaim. 54
With large tracts of land controlled by a few wealthy landowners, there was also a group of
tenant farmers and sublease graziers, renting land sometimes to take short term advantage of
grass adjustment, as a foothold in establishing their own farms, or as a way of expanding their
herds and flocks in good times.
In the 1890s the Chirnside Brothers leased out large parts of their Werribee Park pastoral estate
to tenant farmers, particularly the more fertile delta lands, which could be irrigated. However,
they 'retained the rocky country, which was not fit for cultivation, but which was quite good
grazing country, growing a nice quality of wool. In good seasons, some of this rocky country
might also be leased out to adjoining graziers to take advantage of the more abundant grass. 55
4.3.4 Closed r oads

During the 1860s many of the surveyed roads on the square-mile grid of sections held by the
three big landowners were being closed either by fencing across at road junctions or installation
of gates. By closing roads pastoralists escaped the expense of fencing their property, and also
had free use of the grass growing on the road reserve. Both stone walls and timber fences were
built across the roads the former presenting a very substantial barrier to movement of people
and stock, since it could not readily be cut or pulled down, as was often the fate of the less
substantial fences.
In 1878 a Royal Commission into Closed Roads was established following public uproar over the
issue. It was informed that local communities, drovers with stock and professional visitors
[doctors, school inspectors] had to pass through systems of many gates, and sometimes became
lost along the unfenced roads. The closures sometimes necessitated long detours to markets,
and closed access to water and public recreation reserves. 56 Doctors reluctance to visit the
Mount Cottrell district seems to have been a contributor to a tragic consequence of a diphtheria
outbreak in 1870, in which 6 children from one family died suddenly. 57 In 1878, the Shire of
Wyndham (roughly approximating the present municipality, had 248 miles of closed roads,
leading to the isolation of small local farming communities and difficulties of access for individual
farmers. 58
54 Site for a public park gazetted. 5 acres, 1 rod, 32 perches. 1890 - Rothwell (Little River), allotment 39 of suburban
section 1. County Grant. Parish Bulban. Township Rothwell.
55 Morris, G, Centennial History, Werribee, extract obtained from Werribee Banner, 5th April 1962.
56 Royal Commission into Closed Roads, Progress Report (containing minutes of evidence etc.), Victorian
Parliamentary Papers 1878 (N o.72), p.viii
57 Alex Cameron, Melton Memoirs (Melton & District Historical Society, unpublished typescript), p.8; Ford, op. cit.,
p.245
58 Summary of returns of length area and annual value of closed roads , The Royal Commission On Closed Roads,
1878

A Mr. William Jones wrote to Wyndham Shire council in 1870 complaining that Chirnside had put
a wall across the road giving access to his property, and that he would pull it down unless council
did so. Council's response was to investigate and ensure a gate was provided in the wall.59
A decade later, council is still dealing with the Chirnside regarding closure of roads with walls,
"giving notice to remove the obstruction (a stone wall) from the road, being the boundary of
two parishes, at the junction of the 'Melbourne and Geelong roads, as the obstructed road, was
'required' for traffic by a ratepayer of the Shire." 60
In another example, a "Mr. J. W. Cowderoy, of Footscray, a rate payer of the South Riding, made
a written application to the Council to cause obstructions on a road leading from the Melbourne
and Geelong road to his property in Bulban to be removed. The road was obstructed by a gate or
stonewall erected by the Messrs' Chirnside, and by a gate on the railway about three miles east of
the Little River." The Council did not think that "the opening this particular road (whilst it may
somewhat inconvenience the Messrs' Chirnside) would be of any use or convenience to the rate
payers or the public. There certainly has been no expression of opinion on the matter, or no
desire evinced to have the obstruction removed." 61
The Royal Commission recommended against permanent fencing on road reserves. At the same
time, walls began to be built along the previously closed Faulkners Road, indicating that it was
now open for traffic. One of these walls was built by Clarke. 62
Stone was just as prevalent within the roadways, and sometimes was seen as a suitable source
for wall building, although council sometimes disputed this with the adjacent landowners. For
example, when Mr. McPherson asked permission to remove stones off road to put up stone wall,
promising to fill up the holes, his application was refused and it was noted that "the Council had
passed a resolution nine or ten years ago forbidding removal of stone off any road in the
Shire". 63
The council also became involved in claims between landowners, such as the 4 awarded by
Council against Mr. Doherty for removing stone from Mr. Leake's land. Doherty said he had:
"agreed verbally with Mr. Leake to take off the stone at 3d. per yard, and had been obliged to
leave the stone he quarried; which Mr. Leake had used in a stone wall. He reckoned that he took
about 50 yards and Mr. Leake got a lot of stone which cost him (Doherty) 7s. 6d. per day to quarry,
and used it in a stone wall. He was willing to pay the council 3d. per yard for the stone the Engineer
said was upon the road. The President said that a committee of the Council valued the stone
removed at 2 10s. He suggested that the matter be left in the hands of the Engineer."
How this was eventually resolved is not recorded, but it shows some consideration for the value
of stone as a raw material for building walls. 64
59 "WYNDHAM SHIRE COUNCIL." The Bacchus Marsh Express 12 Nov 1870: 3. Web. 21 Feb 2014
60 "Wyndham Shire Council." Williamstown Chronicle (Vic.: 1856 - 1954) 4 Sep 1880: 3. Web. 21 Feb 2014
61 "WYNDHAM AND THE PLAINS." The Bacchus Marsh Express 22 Jan 1881: 3. Web. 21 Feb 2014
62 Moloney, Melton Dry Stone Walls Study [Wall F96].
63 "WYNDHAM SHIRE COUNCIL." The Bacchus Marsh Express 12 Jun 1875: 4. Web. 21 Feb 2014
64 "WYNDHAM SHIRE COUNCIL." The Bacchus Marsh Express 12 Jun 1875: 4. Web. 21 Feb 2014

4.4 Who built t he w alls?
There have been a number of myths around stone walls in the Australian landscape that they
were built by convicts, they were all professionally built or made by the farmers alone. Ascribing
individuals builders to specific sections of wall is rarely possible, but we have some records of
who was building them and when.
In 1826 rural affairs commentator James Atkinson reported that he knew of no example of dry
stone walling having been erected in the colony of New South Wales. 65
A few people are recorded as having constructed walls on a commercial basis and give us some
insight into their origin and role. These people can be referred to as 'cowans' as they were
sometimes known. For example, Irish brothers John and George Funston worked in the Toolern
Vale area from the 1850s; W & P Gardner were active at Truganina; Patrick Connor worked on
Mount Aitken in the 1860s; and Dick 'the mason' Mitchell, and Arcoll (or Arkell?) worked in the
Mount Cottrell area before 1872. 66 Werribee historian Murray records that:
William Ison and his wife arrived on a Werribee farm in the mid 1850s, and found there a small
wooden cottage and a young German in charge, who had already done some clearing of the
stones which covered the land We set to, and cleared about 10 acres, and had it fenced in with
stones by the next sowing time.67
William Robinson was a stonemason and farmer who settled in the Truganina area in 1872,
building a house of bluestone and numerous fences, some of which survive along Robinsons
Road.68
A Mr. John Tait, who was engaged in fencing the Knoll estate, Mr. Kettlo's property had his fencing
tools stolen at a time that:
"The working men about Wyndham [were] almost all employed. Some stone-walling on the railway
at Laverton; some fencing and stone-walling on the Bulban, or the land recently selected, and the
others digging waterholes or else engaged in road-making." 69
While it is recorded that contractors for the Melbourne and Geelong railway were engaged in
erecting stone fences around Laverton in 1857, the principle civic contractors Musson & co.
65 Kerr, JS, Fencing, a brief account of the development of fencing in Australia, Australasian Society for Historical
Archaeology Newsletter, Vol. 14.No.1, March 1984, pp.9-16.
66 Bilszta, JA, Dry Stone Wall: Faulkners Road, Mt Cottrell, Shire of Melton, 9/9/1990, unpublished paper
67 Murray, E, The Plains of Iramoo, Henwood & Dancy, Geelong, 1974, p.111. (Murray notes that in 1974 these walls
were still standing.)
68 David Moloney, et al. Melton Dry Stone Walls Study, however, Frances Overmars notes that that Albert Evans and
John Todd record him living in the Derrimut area pers com. See also Early Settlers to the 1969 Fires by Albert Evans
No.73 William Robinson, married Maggie OMeara and had 3 boys, Joe, William. Harold and 2 girls, Maggie and
Jessie, he also farmed and grazed the property. The location of the W. Robinson home is recorded on an
accompanying map. William Robinsons home is also recorded in Sites of European Significance Site No. 94 by John
Todd and Frances Overmars. This site is located on a map, west of Robinsons Road, north of Boundary Road, south
of Middle Road and east of Christies Road in Derrimut, Melton. Most of the Robinsons lived in Truganina. Henry
Robinson (Palmers Road, Truganina) owned the Robinson farm from the middle of the 1890s onwards. Pg. 184 City
of Wyndham Heritage Study Context Pty Ltd
69 "WYNDHAM AND THE PLAINS." The Bacchus Marsh Express 10 Jul 1869: 3. Web. 3 Mar 2014

probably subcontracted to different fencers for the various types of post and rail, post and wire
and stone wall fencing.70
Wall construction was a valued trade in the nineteenth century, with wallers working in teams or
by themselves and sometimes employing apprentices in collecting the stone. Pastoral expansion
and farming occupation intensified through the sale and acquisition of land. 71
4.4.1 What w er e t hey for ?

Dry stone walls did not serve a different purpose to other fences, although where a choice could
be made, they appear to have been sometimes preferred to the available alternatives. The vast
majority of stone walls are composite fences intended for keeping sheep in the grazing paddocks,
or out of cropping paddocks. The secondary purpose of most walls, was to clear stone from the
paddocks, for every surface rock removed another tuft of grass could grow to give a meal to a
sheep. In most cases, field stone was not so prevalent as to be greater than the need for walls
and was often supplemented by carting from other sources or quarrying. However, where rock
was too abundant, a distinctive type of wall known as the 'consumption wall' was built taller and
wider to simply 'consume' as much stone as possible. Often these were built as triangular
ramparts in the corners of paddocks where there was little-used space and it did not take away
from the ploughed and cultivated crop areas.
Walls had additional advantages in sheltering stock from wind, resisting fire, protecting gardens
discouraging animals from rubbing and scratching (which would bring down a wire or timber
fence), and encouraging wildlife (although the last was often seen as a disadvantage when that
included rabbits and snakes).
The more substantial full height walls were preferred where their inherent attractiveness could
be put to use. Therefore we have the landscape ha-ha walls at Werribee and Eynesbury, and
substantial kitchen garden and home paddock walls around properties such as Robertson's
Truganina Estate.
At the latter, the stone walls were inter-planted with hedges to improve shelter. As one visitor
noted:
On nearing the farm the practical observer at once notices that all the paddocks are not only well
wall fenced, but in addition they are planted round with acacia and native thorn which form an
excellent shelter against both hot and cold winds. Another also equally advantageous system is the
surrounding of all water dams in a similar fashion with gum and other large trees planted so as to
shade the water from the sun, and also protect it from being defiled by the dust, etc., in dry
weather.72
The acacia was probably Hedge Wattle or Kangaroo Thorn, Acacia paradoxa, of which a large
stand is still present, while the native thorn is most likely Tree Violet, Melicyus dentatus. 73
Walls around orchard and vegetable gardens such as that depicted below at a location probably
north of Melbourne, served several purposes; wind break, pest control, preventing stock access
70 "THE GEELONG AND MELBOURNE RAILWAY." The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 14 Sep 1857: 6. Web. 3 Mar
2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7138652>.
71 McLellan 1989, Dry Stone Wall Management Plan Epping Road, Wollert A report for Spiire Report Author:
Catherine Tucker Date: 13 December 2012 Terraculture
72 "MR. JOHN ROBERTSON'S TRUGANINA FARM." The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946) 6 Dec 1890: 8. Web.
4 Mar 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140166999>.
73 Frances Overmars comments on draft report October 2014

and the aesthetic value of creating a contained and nostalgic space reminiscent of the ancient
stones of the home countries of the predominantly migrant population.
Finely constructed stone walls at the entrance to homesteads or across the road frontage of
more modest farm houses announced the presence of someone of status.
Figure 9: Orchard and vegetable garden separated from grazing livestock by a full height dry stone wall,
probably north of Melbourne, c1860s. State Library Vic.
Figure 10: Fine squared stone wall in Epping, clearly around the main homestead garden, Michael Zimmer
and his horse Cheriot ca1910. (Whittlesea Library lhc195)S

Figure 11: Bill Smithson, Billy Carsons, and another, hanging rabbits on fence wire above a stone wall note
the rabbit wire on right. Bacchus Marsh District, Victoria, circa 1923 (Melbourne Museum 5358)
While stone walls served the same purpose as any other form of farm fence, they had some
intrinsic advantages. Unlike timber they did not rot or burn. Walls were often considered superior
in protecting stock from weather, providing a lee shelter in storms. In the open grasslands, they
were also prized for their ability to prevent the spread of fire. When serving as a firebreak, the
rule of thumb being that each foot in height is equivalent to a 5 foot plough break.74 This is also a
well-accepted phenomenon in Britain, where fire is less of a concern than in Australia. 75
Figure 12: Graphic example of dry stone wall as firebreak in the Barossa Valley, (South Australian, 21 Jan.
2014)
74 Moloney et al, Melton Dry Stone Walls Study citing John Morton, personal conversation, 19/7/2006
75 Lawrence Garner Dry Stone Walls, Shire Albums, Osprey Publishing, 2005

4.4.2 Cost s of w alling
The cost of constructing dry stone walls was related to at least three primary factors: Labour
costs these fluctuated according the state of the economy, immigration and demand;
Availability of raw materials relative abundance of field stone, proximity to forests and access to
rail for cheaper transport effected the cost of materials on the ground and; Developments in
fencing styles and technology earlier traditional preferences for substantial permanent fencing
may have caused people to preference stone walls and hedges, while modern developments in
wire manufacture or mechanical sawing of timber posts, influenced their uptake.
For example in the 1840s rural depression, labour costs were low, but farmers and graziers had
little cash; In the gold rushes, a buoyant market for meat livestock and agricultural products gave
the farmers ready cash, but the exodus to the goldfields left labour scarce and expensive.
When the labour market settled down after the gold rushes, the price of a dry stone wall
remained relatively stable, at around 30 shillings per chain, while the availability of cheaper wire
appears to have made for composite stone and post-and wire fences cheaper, at around 20
shillings per chain. Wire fencing became increasingly competitive, especially around 1880 when
relatively cheap barbed and plain wire was introduced. 76
Between 1875 and 1911 the cost of post-and-wire fencing in dropped dramatically from around
20 shilling per chain, to 7 shillings per chain. This most likely reflects the increase in timber cutting
in the forests north and west of the Keilor Werribee Plains, and greatly improved transport
infrastructure with the opening of the Ballarat and other rail lines. The 1880s then have been
marked as the turning point for the decline in construction of dry stone walls. 77
A summary of various fencing costs is presented in the table below:

Table 1: Costs for constructing and repairing dry stone walls
Decade Type Cost Refer ence
1850s Timber post and rail 2s 6d per rod -10 shillings per
chain
brush fence 4 shillings per chain Cannon, 1978, loc. cit.
1856 24 shillings per chain [or 96 / Manifold Brothers Willingham, op. cit.,
mile p.48
1860s 4 rails 32 shillings per chain Melton district
2 rails & 3 wires 26 shillings per chain
stone wall 34 shillings per chain Peel, loc. cit.
1868 stone wall 8 shillings per chain Henry Beattie of Mt Aitken paid a
professional stone waller Patrick Connor
3 rail fencing 4 shillings per chain Henry Clarke Beattie, op. cit., p.63
1860s post and wire 12 shillings per chain Redden 1911 (PROV, VPRS
5714/PO/1364).
two rail post & rail c.25s "
76 Moloney et al; PROV VPRS 625 Unit 317 (21653), Hannah Watts.; Peel, op. cit., p.108; Matic, A, Vines, G, An
Archaeological Desktop Study of the Proposed Edgars Creek Drainage Scheme, Epping, Victoria, Report for
Melbourne Water, June 2006, p.12
77 Vines, 1995, op. cit.

Decade Type Cost Refer ence
three rail 20s "
1870s post and- 2 rail 10 shillings per chain Hannah Watts

fences
log fencing 8 shillings per chain "
Post-and-wire average of 20 shillings per chain "

[15 to 30 shillings per chain].
Post and wire and c.20 - 25 shillings per chain. "

stone
Post-and- 2 rail 25 shillings per chain "
Stub, or picket 28 shillings per chain
half stone wall / 20-25 shillings per chain

farmer-built
Professional or full 30-34 shillings

wall
1878 'A real good stone 30 shillings a chain PJNolan [the Werribee Shire Secretary /
wall, Engineer]: Royal Commission on Closed
Roads78
1874 4 feet high with 21 shillings per chain Mt Franklinford 79

coping stones
1877 4 chains stone wall 100 shillings per chain

around Rockbank
primary school
1878 Stone wall Melton 36 shillings per chain Augustus Schebler 80
1880s Stone walling, stone 30 shillings per chain Coted in Peel 81

found on premises
4.4.3 Fencing r egulat ion

Legislation was also important in ensuring the construction of fencing to control wandering stock
and deal with spread of sheep scab and cattle pleuro pneumonia. At the time of the initial
pastoral settlement in Victoria, the New South Wales Dividing Fences Act 1828 82 governed the
fencing of private land. However common law did not impel landowners to construct or maintain
boundary fences, or fence land adjoining a public road. The rapid expansion of the pastoral
industry lead to Victorias Fences Statute of 1865, which gave landowners the right to claim equal
78 Royal Commission into Closed Roads, Progress Report (containing minutes of evidence etc.), Victorian
Parliamentary Papers 1878 (No.72), p.13
79 Claire Gervasoni, talk to Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia 4/6/2006
80 PROV VPRS 795, Items 77/37824, 78/7725
81 Peel 1974 Rural Industry in the Port Phillip Region
82 "LOCAL GOVERNMENT." The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) 10 Feb 1938: 5. Web. 19 Feb 2015

contribution towards the construction or repair of boundary fences from the owners of adjoining
lands.83
The Fences Statute 1874 went further in establishing obligations of adjoining landowners with
respect to dividing fences, and even to specifying the types and dimensions of fences that were
deemed sufficient. Sufficient fences were defined according to various categories including post
and rail fences, paling fences, post and wire, stone walls, hedges, log fences, ditches, of a
combination of two or more of these types. The dry stone wall definition was:
4. A bank or wall of substantial materials at least four feet in height and not less than two feet wide
at the bottom and nine inches at the top.84
Moloney suggests that the order of the fences listed in the Act can be taken as a general
indication of how widespread each type was in the 1870s.
The dimensions of the bank or wall being a minimum of 4 feet high, and not less than 2 feet wide
at the bottom, and be 9 inches at the top gives the minimum for dry stone walls of acceptable
type, although the character of the stone available in the Keilor Werribee Plains required
modification of this standard to allow much wider base walls. The provision for composite fences
of stone and wire or rail at least 4 feet high also accounts for many of the dry stone walls in
Wyndham.
Kerr advises that the great variety and combination of early fencing types arose as much from
material shortages and the need to use what was procurable as from a desire to improve the
utility and durability of fencing. 85
Timber was available for fencing in the Wyndham area from some local sources such as the Grey
Box forests on Eynesbury estate and the Pinkerton Forest on the opposite side of the Werribee
River, as well as stands to the more distant Brisbane and Wombat ranges to the west and north
respectively. However, cartage made this an expensive material compared to places where it
could be cut from the property being fenced. The drawback from timber fencing was its
vulnerability to destruction by fire and rot. Farmers regularly lost such fencing to the bushfires
that swept south from the ranges over the plains.86
Post and Wire Fencing was introduced during the gold rush years, some being brought back from
Scotland and England by Western District pastoralists like George Russell, who noted that Such a
fence might do for paddocks, or even for boundary lines bye and bye.87 However, the all metal
fences were very expensive and the British metal posts proved difficult to get into the ground. 88
The thick and soft black bull wire tended to break easily, but when replaced with thinner and
stronger galvanised steel wires, it held up better against stock and allowed fence posts to be
placed further apart, usually about 30 feet, with four or five droppers between each post to keep
83 Lawlink: New South Wales Law Reform Commission website: Report 59 (1988) Community Law Reform
Program: Dividing Fences; Parliament of Victoria website: Law Reform Committee, Review of the Fences Act 1968
84 Fences Statute 1874 http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/fa189067.pdf
85 Kerr, Other types of early fencing are described in Michael Cannons Life in the Country: Australia in the Victorian
Age: 2, Nelson, West Melbourne, 1978, pp.89-90; and Graham Condahs Of the Hut I Builded, Cambridge University
Press, Melbourne, 1988, p.89.
86 John Chandler, Michael Canon, Forty Years in the Wilderness (Loch Haven, Main Ridge, 1990), p.174
87 Moloney et al citing Willingham, op. cit., p.45
88 Beattie, Steward K, The Odd Good Year: Early Scots to Port Phillip, Northern Australia, Gap, Gisborne and Beyond,
Southwood Press, Marrickville, 1999, p.63

the wire stable. The invention of barbed wire in the 1870s also enabled such fencing to be used
for cattle, which previously would push through plain wire fencing. 89
The presence of stone fencing in the region was recorded by an 1856 government agricultural
reporter who remarked: A few good stone fences the only improvement worth noting.90 By at
least the First World War, most of the stone walls in the district had been constructed. 91
Where stone was abundant, timber scarce, transport of fencing material expensive, skilled labour
available, and where cheaper alternatives were unavailable, dry stone walls tended to be the
preferred solution, despite their greater labour costs. 92 Many walls were built wherever stony
ground made them possible, or necessary, despite wire fencing already being much cheaper
than the construction of a good stone wall. Stone wall construction remained popular, with
pastoralists who could afford professional wallers, and with farmers needing to clear stony
ground and manage stock and crops. 93
4.5 Com m unit y building
The dry stone walls and stony ground of parts of the Wyndham district formed the background
and familiar landscape for those who lived there. Like the Stony Rises of the western district, this
bred a distinctive character and resilience among the residents. Stone was seen as a resource,
rather than an impediment.
The prevalence of dry stone walls in the district attracted a number of hunt clubs. While the walls
and fences provided barriers to livestock, they also presented a desirable challenge to sportsmen
in the various hunting and coursing events, which comprised a significant part of the social
calendar and recreational pursuits of a certain section of Melbourne society. The Melbourne
Hunt Club established its deer park on the north slope of Mount Derrimut on the Kororoit Creek
in 1884-5. George Chirnside was its sponsor, leasing land from his rival W T C Clarke. The location
was chosen for the generally open country traversed, with plenty of diverse 'jumps' to challenge
the riders, and perhaps because it was half way between the Chirnside and Clarke domains. For
example forty men chased a Werribee Park Red Deer across the plains in the 1885 hunt, where
the stag, "charged the three-railer into Mr. Howatson's lower paddock[and] an exceedingly
high and stiff stone wall, both of which impediments he cleared in brilliant style into Mr. Steiglitz's
property" 94
Wall building was often a joint effort, either between adjoining property owners, or sometimes a
whole community would pitch in as in the example of the Truganina Presbyterian congregation:
The Presbyterians of Truganina have recently out-stripped themselves in their practical interest shown towards
their Church affairs. Having put the Church building into good repair, and exterior nicely painted, they
determined, by means of a working bee, to put the Church fence to rights, and, on the day fixed for this
purpose, a very large muster of workers turned up, and soon the place was a busy scene. The stone wall was re-
built in many places, posts were put in, three lines of wire were stretched on these posts, topping the wall, the
89 Cannon, 1978, op. cit., pp.89-91

90 Victorian Parliamentary Papers, Statistics of Victoria for 1856, Appendix No.1, p.46
91 Army Ordnance Map, 1917.
92 Vines, G, Comparative Analysis of Dry Stone Walls in Victoria, Australia and Overseas, in Corangamite Arts
Council, 1995,
93 Ann Beggs-Sunter, Buninyong and District Community News, Issue 211, August 1996
94 "THE MELBOURNE HOUNDS." The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946) 27 Jun 1885: 20. Web. 21 Feb 2014

gateway into the yard was removed from its old site to a better one on the main roadway, a picket fence was
erected in front of the Church. Altogether a splendid day's work was done by the assembled workers, while the
ladies of the congregation turned out in force, and cooked and served to them thoroughly appetising meals.
When evening came on the whole company were quite delighted with the day's practical proceedings, and
declared that they had enjoyed themselves even better than at a picnic.95
4.6 Wall rem oval
Loss of dry stone walls has been an on-going process, commencing from the mid nineteenth
century. Some walls thrown up rapidly by squatters for sheep folds or on undefined boundaries,
were pulled down when it was found they were in the wrong place. Improvements to land
surveying often resulted in walls having to be reconstructed on the correct boundary.
Rabbiters and fox hunts were responsible for walls deteriorating. Particularly during the
depression when city people would come out on the train to do some week end hunting. Stones
would often be pulled out to get at a rabbit hiding in a wall. In the Western District Alan Marshall
regularly hunted rabbits under the walls when he was a boy: Wed dig in, and of course
sometimes a bit of wall would collapse, then the farmer would come roaring down the paddock
and wed go for our lives. 96 Robert Hopkins evidently allowed rabbiters access on his Truganina
farm, although in this he appears to have been the exception. 97
Sometimes walls were removed for fear of them harboring vermin, for example Frank O'Brien, in
removing a stone-wall round the garden at Mount Cottrell, was bitten on the thumb by a
snake. 98
Many walls succumbed to road widening and realignment, particularly with the advent of motor
vehicles in the 1920s and 30s, which required substantial reconfiguration of roads to meet the
increased speeds of traffic. For example, the Shire of Werribee advertised for the removal of a
wall and breaking of stone, presumably for road construction work elsewhere in 1930. 99
There may have been a general view that stone walls were a useful source of roadmaking
material, for example Werribee Shire Councillor, Mrs. Lawrence "offered a stone wall, to the
value of 100, and moved that application be made to the Government for the amount to be
subsidized" for reconstruction of Western Beach Esplanade in Altona. 100 In 1930 the shire
engineer was "instructed to call tenders for repairing the old Little River Road, provided the
stone fence adjoining was made available for the necessary stone required." 101 In a similar vein,
in 1929, B. Cunningham and A. Mackintosh of Rockleigh near Little River offered to donate 100
95 "WERRIBEE." The Bacchus Marsh Express 20 Sep 1913: 2. Web. 21 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90578182>.
96 Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.114 ibid, p.118; Mitchell, Grass Roots, loc. cit.
97 Moloney et al. p.25
98 "WERRIBEE N OTES." Williamstown Chronicle (Vic.: 1856 - 1954) 14 Jan 1893: 3. Web. 21 Feb 2014
99 "Contract N o.: 25/30. Spalling a Stone Wall and stacking Spalls on Little River Road, "Advertising." Werribee Shire
Banner 29 May 1930: 3. Web. 21 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74051686>.
100 "Government Relief Grants." Werribee Shire Banner 22 Aug 1935: 4. Web. 21 Feb 2014
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74709813>. (Altona was previously in the Shire of Werribee, prior to changes to
the boundaries and amalgamation forming Shire or Wyndham in the 1990s).
101 "WERRIBEE SHIRE COUN CIL." Werribee Shire Banner 15 May 1930: 4. Web. 6 May 2014

yards of stone wall for the purpose of raising the road about one mile east from Little River
township.102
In some instances the dangers came from the sky. A Citizen Air Force flying officer lost his landing
gear when he undershot the Laverton Aircraft Depot aerodrome and clipped a dry stone wall
bordering the Melbourne Road. 103
Much of the stone fencing erected by the early graziers became redundant when land use
changed. For example, in 1918, Percy Chirnside advertised for tenders for "1. Taking up and
coiling one mile wire netting. 2. Pulling down 2 miles stone wall, 3. Leasing cultivation,
McDougall's", 104 evidently because the old walls were in the way of new farming practices, or no
longer needed to contain livestock, now that the land was being used for cropping by tenant
farmers. The council itself was also involved in removal of walls, with a tender for "40 chains of
stone clearing from the Bulban Road", being awarded to Ryan for 17 in 1913. 105 In another
example, a narrow road to Staughton Vale (which had previously been subject of a closed road
grievance), was reconstructed in with "three-quarters of a mile is solid pitching" with stones from
an old stone wall, the use of which was granted by the local landowner, Cr. Molesworth
Greene. 106
Stone was also stolen from walls, occasionally with the culprits being caught:
Senior Constable Spotiswoode proceeded against Geo. Falkiner and L. Hampson for willfully damaging a stone
wall on the property of the Ballan Pastoral Coy. on the Ballan Road. Evidence was given by William Daley,
manager of the estate where the offence was alleged to have been committed, by Leslie Monkton and by G.
Kirkham of Ballan Road. The charges were proved and each defendant was fined 2 and 10/ damages with 5/
costs. G. Kirkham laid a similar charge against Jas. Scott but as no direct evidence was forthcoming the case was
dismissed.107
However, walls were still being repaired well into the twentieth century, even as late as 1941, for
example the Eynesbury farm manager was seeking a "PRICE for Renovating approximately two
and a half miles of stone wall.108
The 1950s motorcycle TT races held at Little River were discontinued in part because of dangers
of dry stone walls adjacent to the road circuit.109 Many of the original wall ends at gates were
th
damaged in the 20 century, as farm machinery got bigger and the openings were enlarged or
walls breached for farm machinery such as headers and combine harvesters. 110
102 " Werribee Shire Council." Werribee Shire Banner 18 Apr 1929: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74049115>.
103 'AIRMAN'S LUCKY ESCAPE', Werribee Shire Banner 8 May 1930: 4. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74051536>.
104 "Advertising." Werribee Shire Banner 23 Jan 1913: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74822429>.
105 "WERRIBEE SHIRE COUNCIL." Werribee Shire Banner 1 Aug 1912: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article74821919>.
106 "STAUGHTON VALE ROAD." The Bacchus Marsh Express 6 Jun 1908: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90171609>.
107 "Werribee Police Court." Werribee Shire Banner 2 Jul 1925: 6. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75072352>.
108 "Advertising." Werribee Shire Banner 30 Jan 1941: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74060123>.
109 Little river historical Society, 'Element of Danger' commemorative plaque, 2008 and information provided by
Peter and Sue Jones
110 Bilszta, Faulkners Road, 1990, op. cit.

5 Historical analysis
5.1 Periods of const ruct ion
The earliest references to dry stone walls in the Port Phillip district is in 1849, when 10 acres of
stone fenced land " situated on the Merri Creek at " Fountain Inn," adjoining Mr. Forlonge's"
was put up for sale. 111 In 1852 William Hall advertised for someone to construct half a mile of
wall on his property near the Hobsons River Williamstown. 112 There are numerous mentions of
dry stone walls and stone fences in the 1850s, both in advertisements for tenders and
contractors to erect them, or their inclusion in descriptions of properties for sale. These show
that dry stone walling was a common fencing type around the colony.
Most newspaper mentions at this time are in the north and west suburbs of Melbourne
Footscray, Williamstown, Brunswick, but this is probably a bias caused by the reach of the early
editions of the Argus, and the likely distinction between contracted wall building among people
closer to the city, and farmer or day labourer built walls in the more distant rural area.
The earliest news reference to dry stone walls in the former Shire of Wyndham is in 1861, when
councilors Leake and Dougherty debated whether pointing or whitewashing the stone wall at the
Kororoit Creek bridge would be effective.113
The vast majority of the landholdings in the City of Wyndham were originally alienated from the
Crown (that is sold for the first time) in the 1850s. While much of the land was taken up by the
small number of already wealthy and land rich squatters and pastoralists (Anderson, Armstrong,
Austin, Chirnside, Clarke, Greeves, and Staughton), greater numbers of small farmers moved into
the area and established long-lasting family farming properties. Both the conditions of land sales
under the Selection Acts and the implementation of the Fencing Statute ensured that parcels of
land were fenced soon after sale. It can be assumed, therefore, that most of the land in the shire
had been fenced by the 1860s.
In some cases stone walls were subsequently dismantled and reconstructed in different
locations, or rebuilt on the same alignment. While some factors may help subjective relative
dating of walls, (such as the degree or weathering, lichen and moss growth, and proportion of cut
stone in relation to natural surface stone that is incorporated into the wall), in general, it is not
possible to distinguish different periods of construction from the style, form, construction
techniques or appearance of the walls.
One area where historical sources and mapping suggest a time distinction is in relation to the
pattern of walls shown in the Mouyung and Balliang area on early maps. Here long diagonal walls
are shown cutting across, not only the surveyed section grid which is orientated to the cardinal
points, but also the road reservations. Parts of this area were not sold until the later 1860s, and
originally comprised Chirnside's vast estate, so it is likely that these long walls were erected to
enclose vast grazing areas before the surveys. When the land was subsequently subdivided and
111 "Advertising" The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 23 Feb 1849: 3. Web. 8 May 2014
112 "Advertising" The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 21 Aug 1852: 6. Web. 8 May 2014
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4786840>. (Hall was a pioneer of the Newport area, Hall St. is named after him)
113 "WYNDHAM SHIRE COUNCIL." The Bacchus Marsh Express 22 Jul 1871: 3. Web. 8 May 2014
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89700804>. (Note, at that time, the Shire of Wyndham extended as far east as
Altona).

sold, (and possibly where Chirnside was the only buyer, the Closed Roads Commission insisted
on the roads being opened up), these earlier stone walls were pulled down, and re-erected on
the property boundaries.
Figure 13: 1917 Army Ordnance Plan showing Chirnside's big grazing paddock walls.
Small pockets of land (adjacent to the Werribee River and on the coast) were sold in the 1830s
and 1840s, generally associated with the pre-emptive rights of early settlers. Some walls in the
Little River district are likely to be a little later, as the Little River Farmers Common was not
alienated until the 1870s. Likewise an area north west of Werribee township was reserved for
sale for some decades. The following map shows the decade of first land sales in the study area.

Figure 14: Land alienation by decade

5.2 Dist ribut ion
Regionally, dry stone walls are confined to certain topographic and geomorphological landforms
on the lava flows north and west of Melbourne. Figure 15 shows the regional distribution of dry
stone walls extending from Kalkallo in the north east, to Lethbridge in the south west.
The higher areas near the eruption points, and lower reaches of the flows near the bay, (and by
historical coincidence the more urbanized area), have fewer walls, while the mid elevations can
be seen to form a distinct band. The following figure shows the distribution of all dry stone walls
recorded to date, either from historical mapping, aerial photographs, other dry stone wall studies
and heritage surveys, or field survey.
There are some biases in this map due to the walls in the northern and western suburbs having
th
been removed due to urban expansion in the late nineteenth and early 20 century, and so did
not survive to be mapped in the 1917 and 1933 Army Ordnance Survey, and the issue of early
maps not showing walls along made roads as consistently as those within paddocks.
Figure 16 shows the distribution of stone walls in the City of Wyndham. There are evident
concentrations of walls in the Truganina and Tarneit Area, particularly adjacent to Skeleton Creek
and Dry Creek. Another group of slightly less dense walls is located west of Tarneit.
The Little River area is notable for the walls along Edgars Road and adjoining roads to the east
and west, including the area of the Little River United Farmers Common.
A group of walls along Ballan road and extending down to black Forest Road, have been
impacted by recent suburban development, to that now only part of the Ballan road wall itself
remains from this former concentration. Similarly, walls in the Laverton area near Dohertys and
Leakes Roads have succumbed to recent industrial development.
Remnant native grasslands survive on many of the rockier areas in Wyndham, which also tend to
have the greatest concentrations of dry stone walls the correlation being related to the
abundance of natural stone both making cultivation difficult and wall building more economic.
These grasslands, some of which have national significance are a vital part of the landscape.

Figure 15: Regional distribution of dry stone walls north and west of Melbourne

Figure 16: Distribution of all dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham

5.3 Preservat ion
Preservation of walls is highly variable and influenced by several factors. Clearance of walls as
part of farm improvement, either to replace damaged fences, de-rock paddocks, or for
commercial gain i.e. selling stone, have occurred spasmodically in the rural areas.
Wall clearance for road widening, suburban and industrial development has occurred on the
fringe of urban expansion and continues to do so. The most affected areas are in the east of the
municipality around Laverton, north of Hoppers Crossing and along Skeleton Creek, although
earlier urbanization west of Werribee township has also resulted in removal of walls.
The following figure shows the extent of surviving dry stone walls and locations of former walls
which can be determined to have been demolished. Some walls were identified prior to their
demolition, either from the earlier dry stone wall studies, as a result of site specific studies, or
from recent photography, such as Google Street View. Other walls are known from historical
maps, but are no longer present, and so can be assumed to have been removed more than a
decade ago, but since the most recent mapping generally the 1933 Army Ordnance Survey.

Figure 17: Surviving walls in relation to demolished walls

5.4 Techniques of const r uct ion
Dry stone walling has several quite specific construction techniques which can be traced back to
at least medieval origins. These include coursing, coping, double walling, throughstones, hearting
fill, close plugging, and overhanging coping. Some elements of traditional British and European
dry stone wall building are rarely found in the Keilor Werribee plains due to the character of the
stone.
The components of a dry stone wall are:
Foundation trench - dug below the humic topsoil to remove the most reactive layer of soil
and deter rabbits from burrowing down, this trench is about 4 ft. wide and from 2-12
inches deep.
The foundation stones the largest on hand, placed in two rows evenly along the extent of
the wall, their long axis often along the wall.
Double walling or course stones next largest stones built up in courses of about a foot
high in two parallel rows, aligned to the outer faces, each course levelled with smaller
stone and hearting, laid with long axis into the wall.
Hearting smaller stone, gravels and any suitable material to fill the space between the
course stones.
Through stones the longest stones available placed halfway up the wall (or 1/3 and 2/3
for taller walls) at intervals from 1 to 3 metres, to hold the two sides together.
Cap flat stones laid over the last course of common stones - rarely seen in walls in the
study area.
Cope selected stones about 12 inches, placed tightly on their long axis across the top of
the wall, their weight ballasts the wall by creating friction between stones to prevent
movement.
Plugging, small angular or wedge shaped stones hammered between the course stones to
set them tight.
The standard form of dry stone wall described in agricultural literature in the early nineteenth
century was the 'five-quarter' wall, so called because it comprises "its body standing 36 inches
(I.e. four quarters of a yard) high, and the cover and cope which stands 1 foot 3 inches,
considered equal in labour to the building of another quarter of 9 inches. The result is an overall
height of 4 ft. 3 inches with a breath of 2 feet at the base and 15 inches immediately below the
cover. 114
Cope stones in walls on the Keilor Werribee plains are often the largest stones that two men can
lift, and are sometimes laid horizontally, overhanging either side of the wall when larger than the
wall width, or vertically to give extra height to the wall. In some cases there was a mixture of both
horizontal and vertical stones, a coping technique known as 'cock and hen',
In 1874, The Fences Statute included specifications for the construction of dry stone walls,
perhaps reflecting the accepted techniques then being employed, and codifying what had been
developed as a rule of thumb and what was, at the time, traditional construction in both Australia
114 The Quarterly Journal of Agriculture 1832 p.251 (Google eBook)

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=g2MF83tUMiQC& lpg=PA251& ots=l1CWcEik61& dq='five-
quarter'%20dry%20stone%20wall& pg=PA251# v=onepage& q='five-quarter'%20dry%20stone%20wall& f=false

and Britain. Coping stones should only extend another 12 inches in height from the top of the
wall. Thus, the total height should be 4 feet and 9 inches, and a minimum of 2 feet wide at the
base and 15 inches under the coping stones. 115
Figure 18: Diagram showing components of full-height dry stone wall. 116
The two sides of the walls taper inwards towards the top where width various from the 15 inch
standard to one foot to eighteen inches. The slope of the wall depended on the type of stone,
with angular vesicular stone permitting steeper and sometimes vertical sides, and the larger
rounded stones requiring considerable batter. The batter was set by using timber frames and
stringlines between them set at each course.
In some cases stone was shaped with a spalling hammer, but breaking stones to make them fit
was frowned upon as it increased the labour and slowed the work. However, each stone is given
a judicious tap with the hammer to make it settle.
The rate of progress varied from half-a-chain to a chain per day, depending on the style of the
wall and whether ground trenching was required by the owner. 117
115 Fences Statute 1874: 217, see: "The New Fencing Act of Victoria." The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.: 1866 - 1939)
3 Jan 1874: 5. Web. 3 Mar 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18328964>.
116 Dry stone walling techniques Edward Kinnear, Dry Stone Walling; BTCV , Col. F Rainsford

The regular round stones of the basalt plains north and west of Melbourne, lack the angular
friction surfaces that typify the limestone, sandstone and other walls of Britain, or even the
vesicular basalt of the Western District of Victoria. The Rural Cyclopedia of 1848 considered these
round stones objectionable as they are ever rolling off, while the small wedge stones which held
these round stones in position were easily dislodged.118 Similarly, the round stone fence
surmounted by turf was described in Loudons 1857 guide to British agriculture as a very
indifferent fence, whose only apparent benefit was that it cleared the land of stone and could be
built by labourers. It was found to be unstable when built to a standard wall height. Stock could
easily dislodged its copings, and great trouble and expense are annually required to keep it in
repair.119 Nevertheless, careful selection and coursing of stones, effective copestones and
extensive plugging enabled sound and sturdy walls to be constructed, which would stand for
decades with only occasional maintenance. 120
The 1848 Rural Cyclopedia specified an overall height, including cope stones, 4 feet 3 inches (1300
mm), with a base 2 feet 6 inches (760 mm). 121 Historically, this was the average paddock height
for which tenders were called in sheep country. Walls in cattle country were built higher to
discourage the cattle from leaning over to reach greener pastures and dislodging coping stones.
In the Western District walls enclosing cattle were generally at least 1.4 metres high. 122
However, many walls on Western District dairy farms are higher, up to 5 feet 6 inches (1680 mm),
and occasionally with fine, taller walls up to 7 feet (2130 mm) high, to stop the cattle leaning over
and dislodging stones. 123
There is a reasonable consensus that boundary walls (known as March Dykes in some parts of
Britain) 124 were built higher than internal walls. The Fencing Act and subsequent amendments
applied only to the property boundaries, whether with neighbouring land-owners, road frontages
of other reserves. Subdivision of properties into fields was evidently a secondary consideration
once the property had been fenced. Additional stone walls would be constructed to subdivide the
property into paddocks if the field stone was so abundant as to allow these. 125
Western District selector John Lamont built his walls four feet (1200 mm) high on the boundary,
and 3 feet 6 inches (1070 mm) for internal subdivision walls, while the especially tall rabbit walls
built Western District pastoralists such as Manifold built massive walls on the stony rises from the
117 McLellan 1989 ICOMOS Western District stone walls

118 Cited by Willingham, op. cit., p.41
119 Loudon, JC, Encyclopaedia of Agriculture, 5th Edition (Longman Brown Green Longmans and Roberts, London,
1857), p.496
120 Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.28
121 Willingham, op. cit., p.41. The 1300 mm height was chosen as one of the categories for Study field survey.
Almost all of the walls in the Shire had a base width of 700-800 mm.
122 Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., pp.49, 113
123 N athan Perkins, in Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.130; Rod McLellan, The Dry Stone Walls of Victorias
Western District, Historic Environment Vol. 7 N o 2, 1989, pp.28-32
124 N athan Perkins in Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.60
125 Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.60, Vines, 1995, op. cit., p.59

late 1870s to 1890s, with overhanging copestones inserted palings of rabbit wire, deep trenches,
extensive plugging and other refinements, all to try and keep the rabbit plague at bay. 126
Occasionally walls were constructed of single courses of stones (not the usual double walling).
These are sometimes known as single or crochet walls, filigree walls, or Galloway dykes after
th
the origin in 18 century Scottish enclosures. 127
The point of a single wall, apart for the greater ease and speed of building, was to discourage
sheep to attempt to climb by creating the impression of instability. "The stones at the top are laid
to appear extremely open and tottering as if they would fall at the slightest touch." 128
Most of the walls in the Keilor Werribee Plains are of a characteristic type comprising a low stone
wall of about a metre in height with timber posts and between one and three wires either plain
or barbed. The Melton Dry Stone Wall study discusses the origin, purpose and reasons for walls
of this type in some length, appearing to conclude that they were both intentionally constructed
as a cost and time expedient, where available stone, labour and materials influenced the result,
and some were altered later on by the insertion of post and wire, either to improve the fences
performance, reduce the maintenance of repairing fallen stone, or convert the fencing from
sheep to cattle control. 129
Figure 19: Typical 'half-height' wall of the Keilor Werribee Plains (example near Little River)
Figure 20: Partly restored near-full height wall with tied wall ends (33A Rothwell Road Little River)130
126 Wllingham op. cit.

127 Colonel F Rainsford-Hannay, Dry Stone Walling, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright Drystane Dyking Committee,
Gatehouse-of- Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, 1972, p.104
128 Agricultural Surveys: Dumbarton (1811) Great Britain. Board of Agriculture (Google eBook)
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=AcxMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false
129 Moloney et al, Melton Dry Stone Walls Study; For conversion of sheep walls to cattle composite walls and wire
fences see Mitchell, H, Building Dry Stone Walls, Grass Roots, No.48, April 1985, and Richard Peterson, Daniel
Catrice, Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study, 1994
130 Repaired gateway undertaken by David Long in 2008, information from Little River Historical Society

The 1874 Fences Statute includes the combination or composite fence, with an amalgamation
of standard types, including fences constructed partly of stone walls and partly of post & wire or
post-and-rail fences or sometimes with planted hedges.
Expedient fencing using whatever was at hand was a characteristic of Australia's pastoral and
agricultural settlement, for example in 1827 it was reported that an excellent fence could be
made by filling the space underneath the lower rail of a two-rail timber fence with turf. In 1851
John Learmonth and William Lewis of Derrinallum in the Western District erected a boundary
fence in which the lowest rail was replaced by a stone dyke (i.e. dry stone wall).131
The use of low stone walls at the base of timber and wire fences had several benefits, they
improved the fence's ability to withstand fire, discouraged stock from rubbing, prevented sheep
crawling under the lower wire, and in preventing draught horses from scratching mites in the
hairs of their legs, and perhaps to comply with the Fences Act definition of a sufficient wall. 132
Gradual conversion of timber and wire fences to composite walls may also have occurred as
paddocks were progressively cleared and stones cleared for pasture improvement of gleaned
during ploughing were collected and placed at the base of fences.133
According to Peel, the primary reason for the construction of stone walls, and the prevalence of
combination walls was due to "increasing distance from a timber supply, less timber was used
in fence construction and wire fences, or stone walls in the stony country, became more
common." 134
In some cases the abundance of field stone did not convert to a density of scale of dry stone wall
building, as the cost of clearing the stone was not seen as worth the value of the production
gained. For example a Land Department inspector reported in 1875, "I consider the land to be
unfit for cultivation; it would cost from 20 to 30 per acre to clear some part of it, as it is a mass
of rock." 135
The Fences Act also refers to other types of fences including a close hedge or live fence; and a
logs and chock fence. While some hedges are known to have been planted, and the
preponderance of box thorn, hawthorn, briar rose, Osage orange and other hedge plants as
weeds across the plains points to their former presence, chock and log fences were very short-
lived. Hedging was sometimes combined with timber fencing and stone walls, with the intention
that they should eventually grow into well-developed hedgerows as in Britain. However, the dry
climate left all but the hardiest plants struggling to fill the gaps.
131 Moloney et al. citing Kerr, op. cit.

132 Moloney et al. citing Kerr, op. cit.; 68 Mary Sheehan (author of Colac Otway Heritage Study), 11/8/2005; Personal
conversations, John Morton, and Charlie Finch.
133 Moloney et al citing Mary Tolhurst, February 2002.
134 Peel, LJ, Rural Industry in the Port Phillip Region 1835-1880, MUP, 1974, p.108
135 Moloney et al citing PROV VPRS 625 Unit 304 (20712), Inspector Yeoman, 10/9/1875

6 Previous assessments
6.1 Regional sur veys
Survey and assessment of dry stone walls in Victoria have been undertaken in several studies
over the last few decades. These have focussed on initially identifying the significance of, and
risks to dry stone walls, as they have become more widely appreciated.
The main studies of relevance are as follows:
The Drystone Walls of Victoria's Western District. Rod McLellan1989 Australia ICOMOS
Historic Environment, vol. V11 2 (1989)
An historical and archaeological survey of the Dry Stone Walls in Melbourne's Western
Region: Gary Vines1990
If These Walls Could Talk: Corangamite Dry Stone Walls Conservation Project.
Corangamite Arts199194.
A Stone Upon A Stone. Touring of the Exhibition, Raelene Marshall, 200004.
Dry Stone Walls Study, for the Shire of Melton. Jim Holdsworth, David Moloney and
Raelene Marshall, 200406 revised 2012.
Wyndham North Heritage Strategy, David Wixted, Heritage Alliance, 2010 (included assessment
of some stone walls in Tarneit and Truganina PSP areas).The current study builds on these
previous surveys and assessments, taking advantage of the previous historical research, and
assessment and evaluation methodologies. A comparison of the different approaches to
recording and classifying dry stone walls can be found in Table 7.
6.2 Dry st one w alls st udies
A number of other dry stone walls studies have been conducted in Australia. These have
approached the mapping and classification of dry stone walls in slightly different ways, but in
principle try to distinguish main types of walls according to function, form and construction
technique. The following section discusses these and Table 7 following this section summarises
and compares the different systems and relates them to the classification and typology system
used in the present study.
6.2.1 West er n Region Dr y St one Walls St udy

Vines' 1990 study of dry stone walls in Melbournes Western Region identified a number of stone
walls in the present study area. 136 However, this was not a comprehensive survey so not all dry
stone walls in the present study area will have been recorded. Walls were identified at two levels:
selected walls were documented with a pro forma indicating function, construction form,
construction technique, dimensions, stone type and size, condition, integrity and other features,
while other walls were recorded according to a simplified code indicating height, condition and
technique.
136 Vines 1990b

Vines' study of the rural landscape Investigated walls as Internal and external property
boundaries through historical research and field surveys. Vines created a typology, based on the
size (height), technique of construction and the preservation of the wall.
Walls less than 750mm are always accompanied by additional fencing material (post and
wire, or hedges).
Walls between 750 and 1000mm, although more sturdy, are also associated with posts
and rail or posts and wire.
Walls reaching a height between 1000m and 1300mm are less likely to be composition
fences. These taller walls are however, more likely to be associated with a smooth face,
coping and plugging
Walls over 1300mm are more likely to be associated with structures (houses or farm
buildings). These walls have often been constructed with coping stones, through stones
and plugging. In some cases, the foundations of these walls have been trenched. These
latter walls are usually shorter in length as they have a differing function to a field
enclosure.
The standard of construction of walls was found to range from simple piling of stones without
skill to double walls with hearting and coping, careful plugging and finishing of surfaces resulting
in a wall both decorative and functional. Preservation of walls was ranked from collapsed to
intact.
A simplified system was used to express the significance evaluation and allocate a code which
ranked three criteria: Height, Technical skill and Intactness, on a scale of 1-4. This resulted in a
number in the form # .# .# (Height.Technique.Integrity). Walls identified in or adjacent to the
present study area which were ranked in this way include the following:
Table 2: Individually assessed dry stone walls Vines 1990b
No Locat ion Grid Ref Evaluat ion Code
002 Leakes road sth side 002696-014094 3.2.1
003 Leakes road sth side 992097-000096 3.3.3
004 Leakes road nth side opposite 003 987009-992096 2.3.3
005 Off Woods Road 983104-001103 3.2.2
006 Off Woods Road 3.2.2
007 Off Woods Road 2.1.2
008 Boundary Road Laverton 3.2.2
009 Dohertys Road Laverton 2.3.4
010 Dohertys Road Laverton 2.3.3
011 Faulkners Road Mt Cottrell 4.3.4
012 Mt Cottrell road Mt Cottrell 1.2.1
015 Boundary Road Truganina 3.2.2
018 Leakes Road 3.3.3
022 Boundary Road Mt Cottrell 3.2.2
023 Truganina 2.2.3
024 Truganina 3.2.3
025 Dohertys Road Truganina 3.1.3

026 Rosegrange Truganina 2.2.3
027 Rosegrange Truganina 3.4.4
In addition, mapping was undertaken of other walls in the vicinity, with their location and extent
marked on a plan and a similar assessment code applied to each. While the survey was not
comprehensive, it included a number of walls in the Wyndham area as follows:
Table 3: Mapped and summary assessed dry stone walls Vines 1990b
Locat ion Evaluation code
Leakes Rd Nth side west of Woods Rd 2.2.2
Opposite Rose grange east side Skeleton Creek 3.2.2
Dohertys Road north side east of Derrimut Road 1.3.2
Dohertys Rd Nth side east of Woods Rd 1.3.2
Derrimut Road east side north of Dohertys Road extending 1.2.2

towards Skeleton Creek
Derrimut Road east side towards Robertson's 1.2.2
Derrimut Road west side to the west 1.2.2
Derrimut Road east side to the east 2.2.3
Dohertys road north side between Tarneit and Sewells 2.3.2

Roads (3 segments)
Boundary Road south side east of Davis Rd 2.3.2
Boundary Road south side west of Davis Rd 2.3.2
Sewells Rd west side south of Boundary Rd 2.2.2
Sewells Rd east side north of Dohertys Rd 3.3.2
Sewells Road west side between Doherty and Boundary Rd 1.3.2

to west
Sewells Rd west side south of Doherty's Rd 1.3.2
Shanahans Rd West side south of Dohertys Rd 2.2.3
Ballan Rd north side west of Hobbs Rd 1.2.1
Ballan Rd south side to south west 2.2.2
6.2.2 Melt on Dr y St one Wall St udy

The Melton Dry Stone Walls Study was undertaken by consultants Jim Holdsworth, Raelene
Marshall, and David Moloney commencing in 2004 and a draft being completed in 2007. The
report was amended by Sera Jane Peters of the City of Melton in 2011. The study identified a
number of individual walls and proposed heritage precincts where groups of historically related
and geographically dense dry stone walls were located. Moloney identified the precinct as being
of local heritage significance.
The Melton Dry Stone Walls Study identified six types of walls in the municipality:
1. Post and Wire Double / Composite Construction

2. All Stone Double / Conventional (all stone) Construction

3. Post and Wire Single / Composite Construction
4. Post and Rail Double Conventional (all stone) Construction
5. Post and Wire Single
6. All Stone Galloway / Composite Construction
The Melton Dry Stone Walls Study expanded on Vines study methodology and included
additional fields for historical, geographic and physical characteristics as follows.
Table 4: Dry stone walls recording fields in Melton study (Moloney et al)).
WALL_NO
HOUSE_NO
ROAD_NAME
SIDE_OF_RD
WALL_OWNER
HIST_MAP
ORIGINAL_PURPOSE
WALL_TYPE
LENGTH
BASE_WIDTH
HEIGHT
PRESERVATION
CONSTRUCTION_
QUALITY_REPAIR
COPING_STONE
FACING_CON_BATTER
FACING_SMOOTH
THROUGH_STONE
PLUGGING
TRENCHING
LICHEN_MOSS
STONE_SIZE
PLANTATION
6.2.3 Dr y St one Walls Associat ion w all spot t er

The Dry Stone Walls Association have prepared a dry stone wall spotter, 137 a single sheet form
designed to be filled out and submitted to the association to help develop a database of dry
stone walls. This includes fields for location, type of wall and construction characteristics, and is
intended to contribute to a database of dry stone walls in Australia.
137 http://www.dswaa.org.au/images/DOWNLOADS/DSWAA_Spotter.pdf

Figure 21: Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia recording form
6.3 Previously recor ded w alls
A number of dry stone walls have been recorded in archaeological and heritage studies at either
a sub-regional or development-specific level. Many such walls were initially recorded on the
Heritage Victoria historical archaeological site register, now known as the Heritage Inventory
(VHI). A reassessment of archaeological values of places on the VHI was undertaken several years
ago, which resulted in many dry stone walls being delisted (or 'D' listed, as indicated by the prefix
'D' on their site numbers). These places are maintained on a list but are not afforded any
statutory protection under the archaeological provisions of the Heritage Act 1995, as they are not
considered to be archaeological sites. The process of delisting appears to have involved various
desktop reviews and some reinspection, and was based on definitions of what constituted an

archaeological place. The "Outer Western Metro Site Reassessment Project",138 was conducted in
2010, and appears to have resulted in the delisting of some sites which still have archaeological
values as noted in the table below.
A number of dry stone walls have also been included within Heritage Overlay extents, generally in
connection with other historic places. For Example the extent of the Robertson homestead ruin
at Truganina includes the main walls around the homestead paddock.
Heritage places which include dry stone walls as a component, on both the Heritage Inventory
and Heritage Overlay are listed below. These are included in the maps of all recorded walls in
Appendix 6.
Table 5: Heritage inventory and Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay places in the study area with dry stone
wall components
Designat ion Sit e Nam e Locat ion Com m ent s
D7822-0175 Skeleton Creek Dry Lot 3 Sayers road hoppers

Stone Wall crossing
D7822-0284 Sayers Road Ruin Sayers Road Tarneit Delisted as a result of the outer western metro site
reassessment project, Melton & Wyndham, the site was
delisted on 11.3.10. No evidence of archaeological
material remains due to development. 2000 listing
citation: site comprises remains of farm complex.
Heritage inventory significance: moderate to high
archaeological/scientific significance. Moderate cultural.
D7822-0285 Sayers Road Bridge Sayers Road Tarneit Delisted as a result of the outer western metro site
and Dry Stone Wall reassessment project, Melton & Wyndham, the site was
delisted on 11.3.10. No archaeological material exists.
2000 listing citation: two components of a bridge and
section of drystone wall
D7822-0292 Leakes Road Dry Leakes Road Werribee

Stone Wall
D7822-0327 Truganina Dry Stone Leakes Road Truganina

Wall H1
D7822-0328 Truganina Dry Stone 105 Palmers Road And

Wall H3 Leakes Truganina
D7822-0330 Truganina Dry Stone 99-105 Palmers Road

Wall H6 Truganina
D7822-0331 Truganina Dry Stone 260 Sayers Road Truganina

Wall H9
D7822-0332 Truganina Dry Stone Leakes Road Truganina

Wall H7
D7822-0334 Truganina Dry Stone 250 Sayers Road Truganina

Wall H5
D7822-0335 Truganina Dry Stone Leakes Road Truganina,

Wall H2 Wyndham
D7822-0345 Sayers Road Dry Sayers Road Williams Local.

Stone Wall 2 Landing
D7822-0351 Westmeadows Lane James Cook Drive and off Low significance. Drystone walls common in the region.
Dry Stone Wall Marquands Road This one is in relatively good condition
Truganina
138 Earth Imprints, Outer Western Metro Reassessment Project Melton and Wyndham, Prepared for Heritage
Victoria, March 2010

D7822-0363 McGrath Road Stone McGrath Road Werribee Poor condition - neighbouring fences (stone wall) are in
Wall better condition. Low significance
D7822-0364 Boundary Road Stone Boundary Road Truganina Scientific - moderate. Cultural: local. The stone walls are
Walls relatively well-preserved examples of post-1850s wall
building and former lot boundaries in the region. They
are also a notable aspect of the western plains heritage
landscape
D7822-0373 Greens Road Dry Greens Road And Black Moderate local significance due to condition of wall.
Stone Wall 2-8 Forest Road Wyndham Vale
D7822-0378 Black Forest Road Dry Black Forest Road Moderate local significance
Stone Wall Wyndham Vale
D7822-0585 Greens Road Dry Greens Road Wyndham Moderate local significance due to good condition of wall
Stone Wall 1 Vale
D7822-0716 Dry Stone Wall - Old Melbourne Road Little Local significance
Geelong Railway Line River
D7822-0737 WV Boundary Dry McGrath Road Wyndham The dry stone wall is likely to be associated with the
Stone Wall 1 Vale Thomas Chirnside period of ownership of the allotments
and most of the region
D7822-0750 Lot 9 Stone Wall 2 140 Westmeadows Lane

(Westmeadows Lane) Truganina
D7822-0767 Dry Stone Wall Springhill Road Eynesbury Low Scientific, Local Historic.
D7822-0781 Doherty's Road Stone 235 Dohertys Road Evidence Of Post-1850's Land Use. Low To Moderate
Wall Laverton North Local Significance. The Stone Walls Are Characteristic Of
The Western Plains Heritage Landscape
D7822-0829 Dukelows & Cobbledicks Ford Reserve, Low local significance.

Cobbledicks Stone Dukelows Road, Mount
Wall Cottrell
D7822-0874 Davis Creek Dry Stone Butterfly Boulevard Tarneit Site represents a fairly common landscape feature within
Wall 1 the wider region and is not expected to have an
archaeological component associated with it.
D7822-0875 Davis Creek Dry Stone Tarneit

Wall 2
D7822-0880 Gbl Dry Stone Wall 4 1625 Boundary Road The site is of significance to the local community
Mount Cottrell
D7822-0881 Gbl Dry Stone Wall 5 Sewells Road and The site is of significance to the local community
Shanahans Road Mount
Cottrell
D7822-0882 Gbl Dry Stone Wall 6 Ballan Road Wyndham Vale The site is of significance to the local community
D7822-0883 Gbl Dry Stone Wall 7 955 Ballan Road Wyndham Local significance
Vale And Bulban Road
Mambourin
D7822-0884 Gbl Dry Stone Wall 8 Bulban Road Mambourin

and 780 Bulban Road
Werribee
D7822-0895 Lot 10 Westmeadows Westmeadows Lane Drystone wall with remaining sections in good condition
Lane Dry Stone Wall, Truganina and exhibiting c19th stonework technology using
Truganina Small basalt boulders. Wall probably served as a
boundary outline of a farm.
D7822-0896 Dry Stone Wall, 440 Dohertys Road Remains of dry stone wall in association with d7822 -
Laverton North Laverton North 0364 sections recorded previously within study area a

440 Doherty's road.
D7822-0902 Dry Stone Wall Dohertys Road and Low significance regarding archaeological deposit
Palmers Road Truganina
D7822-2266 Moorookyle Dry Davis Road and Sayers

Stone Wall 4 Road and Isabella Way
Tarneit
H7822-0136 Truganina Estate Derrimut Road Tarneit, Stone wall surrounding Robertson's homestead ruin; The
HO028 Robertson's farm Wyndham, CA G Sec 22 Psh heritage place is the whole of site enclosed by stone wall.
complex Tarneit, Derrimut Road,
Tarneit
H7822-0138 Leakes Road Ruin North of Leakes Road Stone ruin, ford and dry stone wall on creek
Tarneit
HO9 The Peppercorns 1625 Boundary Road, Mt The heritage place is the house, bluestone ruin and stone
Cottrell walls.
HO10 Volant House (now 1645 (1625?) Boundary The heritage place is the house and associated features
Arva) Road, Mt Cottrell (dry stone walls on paddock boundaries not included?)
HO13 Devine House (ruins) Lot CA 34 Psh Bulban, The heritage place is the house ruin and
Bulban Road, Mambourin immediate setting (dry stone wall on Edgars Rd)
HO14 House 780 Bulban Road, Werribee The heritage place is the house, stone walls and mature
plantings along driveway.
HO30 Wine Cellars Lot 2 LP208740 Derrimut On Skeleton Creek opposite water reserve
Road, Tarneit
HO36 Doherty House Lot 1 LP97350, 1103 The heritage place is the house and stone walls and their
Dohertys Road, Truganina immediate setting.
HO38 Missen House (site) CA C Sec 22 Psh Tarneit, The heritage place is the house, stone walls and
Dohertys Road, Truganina plantings.
HO53 Moyong Lots 1 & 2 PS609745 The heritage place is the bluestone shearing
Edgars Road, Little River. shed, bluestone building and their immediate
surrounds (dry stone wall on southern boundary)
HO54 Shaw House 115 Edgars Road, Little Heritage place is the house and immediate garden
River setting, and dry stone wall
HO55 Richmond and 230 Edgars Road, Little The heritage place is the ruins, bluestone
McNaughton River stores, two timber houses, bluestone wells,
Properties bluestone and dry stone walls, and the
immediate setting of each building.
HO64 Werribee Park K Road, Werribee The heritage place includes Graves, headstones and
bluestone wall at
Werribee Park Golf Course.
HO67 Ball House 135-173 Little River Road, The heritage place is the house, shed/barn and
Little River immediate setting including dry stone walls.
HO102 The Manor Wattamolla Ave, Werribee The heritage place is the large trees and stone wall
(remnants) remnants of the Manor.
HO119 Skeleton Creek Water Pt CA 3 Sec 15 Psh The heritage place is the water reserve as
Reserve and Water Truganina shown on the Parish of Truganina plan, the
Holes Woods Road, Truganina waterholes just downstream of the confluence of Dry
Creek and Skeleton Creek and the dry stone walls and the
remnants of the bluestone building.

6.4 Int erst at e w all recor ding
Several other dry stone wall recording and assessment projects have been conducted in
Australia. Some examples of overseas and interstate recording systems are shown here in order
to establish consistency with other projects and ensure the method used in the Wyndham Dry
Stone Wall Study benefits from previous studies.
The Kiama council engaged Warwick Mayne-Wilson to undertake a study in the late 1990s which
produced a series of recording forms and data sets, but no final report. 139
Table 6: Rating system for Kiama study (Mayne Wilson 2001)
RATING TABLE WALL NO. 157A Bland Street precinct
Heritage values Assessment attributes Comment
A. Historical values Likely date of construction mid 1980s
Land use Probably dairying
Builder Not known - said to be migrant workers
from central Europe.
Purpose of wall Road boundary/partly paddock enclosure
Prominence of owner John King, moderately prominent
B. Aesthetic values Visual and/or sensory appeal Strong, brown, textured, vertical feature
Landmark qualities Corner site at junction of two major roads
Creative/technical qualities Good use of local stone
Aesthetically distinctive Has major characteristics of local walls
Exemplifier of a style Copy of that established by Newing
C. Technical values Good proportions Correct proportions for stability
Large foundation stones Good structural base support
Face stones well interlocked Moderately good engagement of face rocks
Good coping stones Moderate binding capacity
D. Social values Identified with a particular group No specific community associations
Significant to contemp. community Consolidates sense of place
E. Representative Has characteristics of a class Yes - typical dry stone wall of the region
A seminal or optimal example No
Esteemed for its integrity Is well built, but new
F. Rarity value Rare Not in Kiama shire
Endangered No
Unusual aspect of our history Seldom found elsewhere in NSW
G. Intactness As a percentage 100%
139 Warwick Mayne-Wilson 2000 Conserving the Dry Stone Walls of Kiama. 2002 Dry Stone Walls of Lennox Head.
Malcolm Milner

6.5 Overseas recording
The Dry Stone Wall Association in the United Kingdom has produced a recording system for walls,
which identifies environmental and technical/structural criteria as the basis of its survey system.
As the range of wall types and features, and the awareness of recording practitioners is at a fairly
sophisticated level in the UK, their recording is similarly sophisticated with a number of technical
and summary terms used to define specific characteristics.
Information is recording in several categories, including Description of the extent of the survey
area, Location, Geographical with maps, Total length of walls and Total lengths in each condition
category, Number of each feature etc., Photographs, Description of type of stones /and wall style,
Brief history of walls, subjective assessment of the value of the wall in the landscape.
The technical and stylistic recording is similar to, although more detailed than, that used in the
various Australian recording systems described above. A useful guide is also provided with
illustrations of wall types and levels of integrity.
Figure 22: Dry Stone Walling Association survey sheet.

Figure 23: Dry Stone Wall Association UK, basic styles and patterns

Figure 24: Dry Stone Wall Association UK, condition classes140
140 Countryside Commission's evaluation of the condition of English walls. (: Brooks 1999)

7 Recording
An analysis of previous Victorian and interstate dry stone wall recording projects indicates a
range of generally accepted criteria and fields which assist in evaluating and assessing historic
dry stone walls. The stone wall recording fields used in the Melton Dry Stone Walls study, Dry
Stone Walls Association recording from and Living Museum Dry Stone walls study are tabulated
below. From these methods, a combined set of data fields has been developed as shown in the
right hand columns.
Table 7: Dry Stone wall recording fields from various sources.
Melton Data set Moloney Dry Stone Walls DSWA spotter Vines 1990 Selected fields Field criteria
Study
Date of Survey: Date of Survey: 00/00/00
Surveyor/s: Surveyor/s: Gary Vines
WALL_NO Survey Number: Ref No Wall I.D. 0000
Map showing 1:25,000 Map Name & Map Name I.D. 0000
location of wall(s): Number
(a hand-drawn
map will be
sufficient)
Map Co-ordinates or GPS GPS reference (if Grid Ref Start grid ref 3000000
Reference known) E N
End grid ref 5800000
Photograph Nos: Photograph Photograph 0000
Location: Location Relation to roads,
geographical features
etc.
HOUSE_NO Number Address Road Number 0000
ROAD_NAME Road- Road name XXXX
SIDE_OF_RD Side of Road [North, South,
East, West]-
Link to other wall: Related wall I.D. 0000
Direction that the
wall runs
Shires Unique Identifier Standard Property SPI00000
[for property]- Identifier
Municipality Municipality Wyndham
Jurisdiction: Melton - Road Authority Council
VicRoads VicRoads
WALL_OWNER Ownership: Single- Shared Property Boundary Road
Whole wall- Portions of wall Crown
Private
None
Access to property:
HIST_MAP Historical Maps: 1892 - Historical Reference 1917 Army
1916 1938 Army
Other

Study
Description of the
wall
LENGTH Length: Length of wall Length of Wall Length 000
(approximate/esti
mate) metres
HEIGHT Height: < 300 mm: - 300- Height Main wall height Height 000
750 mm: - 751-1000 mm: - millimetres/metre
1001-1300 mm: - >1300 s
mm:
BASE_WIDTH Base width: Width at base Width at base Width at base 000
Width at top Width at top 000
Coping height Coping height 000
Coping width Coping width 000
Coping overhang 1 Coping overhang 1 000
Coping overhang 2 Coping overhang 2 000
Angle of sides inside Angle of sides inside 00
Angle of sides Angle of sides 00
outside outside
Stone type: Fieldstone- Type and size of Stone Type (smooth, Stone Type Smooth
Quarried / split- Vesicular / stone rounded boulders, Rounded boulders
scoria vesicular, angular, Vesicular
slabs, quarried or Angular
broken) Slabs
Quarried or broken
Material (basalt, Stone Material Basalt
scoria, other) Scoria
Sandstone
Shale
Granite
Other
STONE_SIZE Stone size: Small- Large- Stone Size ( largest, Stone Size (largest) 00
Medium- Varied smallest, Median
(average greatest
dimension)
Stone Size (average) 00
WALL_TYPE Wall Type: Type of Wall Type Full height double
All-Stone construction wall
Standard [double] Full height single
Mixed [single-double] wall
Galloway Composite post &
wire
Composite Stone with Post- Mixed construction
and-Wire:
Double wall
Single wall
Mixed single-double wall
Foundation only
Planted hedge
Post-and-Rail (evidence)
Special Features Other elements Post and Rail
Hedge

Study
Smoot
Style
Wall head
Gate post
CONSTRUCTION_ Original Construction: Technique (unrefined, Technique Unrefined
Coarse: poorly built, technically competent, Technically
possibly by farmers rather refined technique, competent
than professional- specialist technique) Refined technique
Traditional / Competent: Specialist technique
built professionally -
Refined: built professionally
to best standard, with
special attention to finish,
such as coping stones,
smooth batter
COPING_STONE Components: Coping stones Presence of Coping Coping Horizontal
[typical, angled, other]- copestones Vertical
Angled
Overhang
THROUGH_STON Presence of throughstones- throughstones Throughstones Throughstones Random
E (height, random, Partial
partial, flush Flush
projecting interval) Projecting
Throughstones Height 00
Throughstones 00
Interval
PLUGGING Presence of plugging Plugging Plugging Yes/no
TRENCHING Presence of shallow trench Foundation Trench Yes/no
foundation
FACING_CON_BA Consistency of wall batter-
TTER
FACING_SMOOT Smoothness of wall facing
H and stone interlocking-
PLANTATION Vegetation: native Plants xxxxx
remnants or re-colonisers,
planted hedges / adjacent
plantation / Self-sown wall
plantings
LICHEN_MOSS lichens and or moss Lichen, moss xxxxx
PRESERVATION Preservation: Condition: Condition (Mostly Integrity Mostly collapsed
Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor excellent, good, collapsed, Partially Partially collapsed
fair, poor, varies collapsed sections Sections intact
intact, Largely intact, Largely intact
completely Intact Completely Intact
QUALITY_REPAIR Repairs: Skilled- Unskilled- Repairs xxxxx
Coarse
Neglect: Poor repairs - Threats xxxxx
Vandalism / theft- Rabbits-
Unsympathetic new
plantings-Subdivision-
Demolition

Study
ORIGINAL_PURP Original purpose: Road Purpose of wall: Function Road boundary
OSE boundary- Property paddock Property boundary
boundary- Internal boundary, road Internal paddock
paddock- Internal stock boundary, Internal stock yard
holding yard- Homestead / stockyard, etc. Race
front wall- Dam- Causeway Other information Homestead fence
/ culvert Dam
Causeway
Other
Landforms: Eruption point- Fieldstone (% cover of Fieldstone cover 00
Rocky outcrops or creek ground surface) 0-5%,
banks- Abundant fieldstone 5-20%, %20-50%,
%50-100%.
Topography: Undulating or Landform (Flat, gently Landform Flat
Incised- Flat- Depressions / sloping, rolling hills, Gently sloping
Swamp nearby steep gully, ridge, Rolling hills
hillside) Steep
Gully,
Ridge
Hillside
Land Use: Farming / Land Use: Grazing
Pastoral- Farming [later, Agriculture
intensive]- Rural Intensive mixed
Residential- Idle- Other Residential
Other
Visibility: High- Medium- Visibility: High
Low Medium
Low
Cultural Landscape Value: Cultural Landscape Outstanding
Outstanding- Notable- Value: Notable
Some- None Some
None
Potential Lay-By: Picture Interpretation Viewing
Frame / On-Site potential Tour
Interpretation- Heritage Heritage Precinct
Trail / Brochure Other
Interpretation Site
Installation Issues for
Potential Lay-By Site- Made
Road- Traffic [High,
Medium, Low]
Significance: State / Local / Significance State
Conservation Desirable / High Local
Driving Trail Walls / All Local
Other Walls Conservation
Desirable

7.1 Field Survey
The field survey was carried out between August 2013 and March 2014 by Gary Vines, (Biosis Pty
Ltd). The survey involved a driving assessment of all roads, with selected foot survey both along
road verges and other publically assessable areas. Wyndham Council contacted property owners
to determine access conditions and restrictions. A field survey was then undertaken by foot in
approved private property, generally by following property boundaries and dividing paddock
fences from the road. Field survey along creek lines was also undertaken to access areas hidden
due to landform.
7.2 Met hodology
The following methodology was employed during the field survey as follows:
Mapping, (using aerial photography, historical maps and photos, Heritage Inventory 'D' listings, GIS
cadastre layers and previous dry stone wall surveys), was compiled in the GIS base mapping system.
Initial GIS based plans were created by tracing dry stone walls marked on rectified 1917 and 1933
Army Ordnance Survey maps, then adjusting wall positions where cadastral boundaries and aerial
photos could show more accurate positions.
Correlation of data from these sources was used to create base maps for the field.
Several vehicle and foot surveys were undertaken to examine walls from all publically accessible
areas.
The existing army mapping and aerial photography were used as a base wit site visits confirming
which walls remained, which were no longer evident and which were not included in the historic
mapping.
Mapping was updated from initial field results.
Additional vehicle and foot survey was carried out, and selective private property survey was
undertaken to confirm walls not visible from public areas.
Field notes were taken recording ground conditions, specific locations and condition of areas of
surface visibility, vegetation type, slope and details of any cultural heritage identified.
Locations of identified historic features were recorded using a Topcon GRS-1 DGPS and post-
processed to sub 1 metre accuracy.
General Views of walls, details and surrounding landscapes were photographed (Cannon EOS600D
16megapixel (images captured at 5mb or greater) photographs indexed to survey data results.
GIS mapping fields and an Excel spreadsheet were updated with survey data.
7.3 Lim it at ions/ const raint s
The field investigations were conducted primarily as a reconnaissance survey from a vehicle,
stopping to view specific locations from the road reserve at the property boundaries. Private
property was not accessed during the survey, except with permission of the owners. While this
has implications for survey coverage, with the possibility that some dry stone walls may be
located within private property and not be visible from the road or public areas. However,
previous assessments in the vicinity, and the results of the Wyndham Heritage Study Review
(2004), provide some guidance, while extensive aerial photography and map interpretation,
including recent 2012 high resolution aerial photography, allow assessment to all potential wall
locations.
Use of historic sources, maps and aerial photos also provided a safety check against possible
omission of historic places. In this way, all potential walls and wall features marked on the 1917
and 1933 Ordnance Survey maps could be identified from public areas and ether confirmed to

still exist, or to have been removed. Features shown on 1945 Aerial Photographs141 could also be
checked from public areas. It is therefore believed that limitations on survey did not impact on
the results of the study.
141 Land Victoria, aerial photo mosaics series, http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/photomaps.jsp

8 Significance assessments method
Significance assessments for dry stone walls identified in this study have been undertaken on the
basis of criteria and thresholds defined by the "The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of
Cultural Significance"; 142 and detailed in the Practice Note "Understanding and assessing cultural
significance" 2013. 143
The Heritage Victoria criteria and threshold guidelines for assessing the cultural heritage
significance of places and objects for possible state heritage listing144 have also been considered
in making assessments of individual stone walls or cultural landscapes.
The assessment criteria and method employed in the Melton Dry Stone Walls Heritage Study has
also been adapted to the Wyndham Study.
8.1 Aest het ic significance
Aesthetic significance can relate to the specific qualities of a particular wall, or to the landscape
setting or both. Dry stone walls present a recognizable visual aesthetic in the landscape, both in
the way they divide up the landscape into regular shapes and show the 'work of man' on the
landscape, in a particularly European form. Individually, the pattern, texture, shapes and
evidence of skillful construction provide a distinctive aesthetic value to the walls themselves.
Wall
Factors influencing its significance include:
Visual presence / strength / cohesion. This relates to its:
- Height,
- Length, and
- State of preservation.
Quality of construction - proportions, consistency of height and wall batter, distinctiveness of

coping stones, and smoothness of face stone interlocking.
Abutting tree plantation (This can either highlight or overwhelm the wall).
Lichen / moss cover (density).
Landscape Setting
The landscape context can have a number of factors influencing significance, including:
Landmark quality. This relates to its:

- Size,
142 Australia ICOMOS "The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance" Australia ICOMOS
Incorporated, International Council on Monuments and Sites, 2013
143 Australia ICOMOS Practice N ote "Understanding and assessing cultural significance" 2013.
144 Victorian Heritage Register Criteria and Threshold Guidelines , Endorsed by Heritage Council 6 December 2012
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/127485/HV-VHR_Criteria_and_Thresholds_Guidelines-
2012.pdf

- Prominence, or visibility, from a public place
- Boldness of definition or quality in the landscape.
There are relatively few walls in the Study Area with landmark quality. As with most surviving
nineteenth century walls elsewhere in Australia, most walls have suffered dilapidation. Many of
the lower walls are generally hidden by long roadside grass, or later plantings.
8.2 Hist orical significance
Examples of possible associations of dry stone walls with historical events, periods or persons
that were identified included:
Early pastoralism (1836-1852),
Nineteenth century pastoralism (c. 1852-1900),
Early nineteenth century farming (c. 1852-1865),
Selection Act farms (c. 1865-1885),
Later nineteenth century cottage dairying industry (c. 1860s -1900),
Original crown survey, e.g. walls that preserve evidence of original surveyed properties, never
used roads or villages, farmers commons, water reserves, or rural school or church reserves,
Introduction of rabbits,
Major pastoralists, e.g. WJT Clarke, Sir WJ Clarke, Simon Staughton and Sons, Chirnside Brothers,
Locally prominent waller/s,
Early twentieth century farming / grazing, in particular the break-up of the pastoral estates (c.
1900-1914),
Mid twentieth century farming (including destruction by new farm machinery,
Rabbiters, loss of skills / neglect; rebuilding and modifying.
8.3 Technical / scient ific significance
This was considered to be the Research (i.e. archaeological) potential of the place to contribute
to a wider understanding of the history of human occupation of Australia, in particular on
Melbournes western volcanic plains:
Dry Stone Wall Construction in Victoria: There has as yet been no comparative analysis of
different types of wall construction across Victoria. The distinctive composite walls that dominate
in the Shire of Melton, and the western and northern areas on the outskirts of Melbourne
generally, mean that the data collected about Meltons dry stone walls will contribute to a better
understanding of practices, traditions of dry stone wall construction in Victoria generally.
Design innovation, creativity: This may be particularly applicable to less common dry stone wall
structures, such as causeways and dams. However, the achievement of a good construction
technique using difficult local materials, such as the amorphous round-shaped fieldstone or large
boulders, might also qualify a wall for inclusion under this category.
Quality of original construction: For example, consistent height, wall batter, and coping stones;
good face stone interlocking. However these craftsmanship qualities are of relatively little

potential technical or scientific value, and are best covered in the Aesthetic assessment criterion
(above). Walls are also assessed against the five main categories described in Section 0, namely:
1 - All stone full height double wall
2 - All stone full height single wall (Galloway Dyke)
3 - Composite wall Post and Wire
4 - Composite wall Post and Rail
5 - Composite wall and hedge
Figure 25: Sketches of typical examples of each main type of wall found in Wyndham

8.4 Social significance
The value in which the wall is held in the local or wider general community such as contribution
to a local sense of place, or more general evocation of the honest toil of hardy pioneering
generations, or by some group within the local or wider community such as farmers. Such
esteem should be demonstrable.
Dry stone walls will have different potentials for interpretation or public education. [For
example, regarding the local history of dry stone walls or a particular construction technique].
Public visibility, and ease of roadside access for driving trail 145 and other interpretative material,
would be a part of assessing a walls educative potential. The prominence / visibility of a wall from
a public road, including unfolding / dynamic views from motor vehicle, constitutes potential
criteria of social significance.
8.5 Qualifiers of significance
Based upon the Burra Charter, the Australian Heritage Commission criteria, and also JS Kerrs
The Conservation Plan, the qualifiers to the significance criteria have been used in the
assessment of dry stone walls. Qualifiers include measures which help determine significance
within heritage criteria according to the degree of integrity, rarity and representativeness.
Condit ion and Int egr it y, Int act ness and aut hent icit y are not fundamental criteria of
significance, but rather qualifiers of significance. So for example, all other things being equal, a
wall which is highly intact would be rated more highly than one which is deteriorated, or which
has been reconstructed. The intactness of a wall [the amount of the original wall which remains]
is distinct from its authenticity or integrity [the degree to which the wall has been subject to
restoration or reconstruction], and from its condition [its present state of repair]. The following
notes are intended to provide guidance in determining whether changes to a wall due to periodic
repairs and alterations have had an impact on the significance of a wall.
It is usual and desirable for walls to be repaired as higher stones are knocked off by stock or
stolen, as timber posts and wire deteriorate, and as they are undermined by rabbits or otherwise
destabilised by earth movement or intrusive root systems. Repairs [restoration, or
reconstruction, if done in accordance with the original design of the wall, and with original or like
materials] will enhance the integrity and condition of a wall.
Minor repairs are mostly conducted with original materials [i.e. restoration] and are likely to have
little or no detrimental impact on the integrity or potential heritage significance of a wall.
More extensive repairs, for example reconstruction of whole sections of walls which have mostly
collapsed, have significant potential to impact detrimentally on the integrity of a wall. Integrity will
be more affected where the reconstruction has been undertaken poorly, by an unskilled waller,
or in a construction style different from the original. At worst such repairs consist of no more
than piling or pushing stones and boulders into gaps in the original wall. The introduction of new
stones different from the original [e.g. in size, or stones which have predominantly been split or
quarried in contrast to rounder, weathered and sometimes lichen-covered fieldstone of the
original wall] will also impact detrimentally on integrity. However if such repairs have been
undertaken by a skilled waller they may not be unduly detrimental, and could in fact confer new
145 Melton city Council has prepared a dry stone wall driving trail brochure which can be downloaded at
http://www.melton.vic.gov.au/files/668848ec-ca47-4d3f-b135-
a2120093506a/Dry_Stone_Wall_Driving_Trail_Brochure.pdf

value [social significance] by virtue of accenting and contrasting early and later walling
techniques and materials. The routine introduction of new posts will have some, often minor,
detrimental impact on the integrity of the fence, as they are usually of different dimensions or
material [notably the now-common steel star drop-posts]. More importantly, new posts interfere
with the structure if added into the wall itself, as is often the case as posts are renewed and
spacers added. In many cases new posts do not appear to have significantly disturbed the
structure, which probably indicates that they are simply replacements of original posts. However
renewal and addition of posts are presumably undertaken by landowners rather than
experienced wallers and are sometimes crude. Such disturbance is minimised when a new post-
and-wire fence is built immediately adjacent to the original wall rather than in it. [However, this
diminishes incentive to maintain the original stone fence]. Necessary replacement of the original
wires with thinner modern and barbed modern wires, probably also with a different number and
configuration of strands, impacts on integrity to a minimal, almost negligible, extent.
Rar it y - Rare walls are outstanding, exceptional, seminal etcetera walls, in terms of structural
type, an historical theme, aesthetic value, or walls which were once common, but are now scarce,
rare or endangered. Thresholds for rarity of walls in the study area can be determined following
survey and analysis of data, generally assuming that types of walls with only a limited number of
examples, (for example less than one percent of the total) would be considered rare. Similarly,
rarity can be assessed against data on other parts of Victoria to determine potential rarity at the
state level.
Repr esent at iveness - Representative walls are exemplary, or the best, examples of typical walls.
Within the study context the different categories of typical walls were based on structural types /
subtypes, or walls that represent particular historical themes or aesthetic values. Analysis of field
survey data allows identification of representative traits of the identified categories of walls, and
therefore consideration of which walls best demonstrate these traits.
8.6 Ot her values (envir onm ent al qualit ies)
While it has not been considered as a determining factor in assessing cultural significance of
walls, there are natural and environmental qualities which dry stone walls may embody that
should be considered in determining their management. In particular, walls protect native
species including flora and fauna.
The dry stone walls provide ideal habitat for these species as often the adjoining properties have
been de-rocked. In the landscape context, they are key habitat features. A number of walls which
connect areas of remnant vegetation, stony rises and other locations with environmental values
are believed to also provide movement corridors for native animals and birds. 146 Dry stone walls
have been specifically identified as important habitat in the Cobbledick's Ford Reserve. 147
Walls provide refuge for native plants, since where they are constructed, cultivation, weed
spraying and other disturbance is prevented, and plants which require protection from grazing
may survive within the stones. Plants such as Hymenanthera are particularly adapted to growing
among rocky outcrops, conditions which stone walls replicate. Similarly, walls provide refuge for
native animals. Wyndham conservation officers have noted various reptile species using the dry
stone walls including Eastern Blue-tongue Lizards, Cunninghams Skinks, Eastern Striped Skinks,
146 Pers. com. Craig Dodson, Area Leader Conservation, Parks, Wyndham City Council
147 Cobbledicks Ford Reserve Flora and Fauna Management Plan, Revision N o.2 SMEC Australia Pty Ltd for
Wyndham City Council, 2010, p. 20

Tussock Skinks, Eastern Brown Snakes and Eastern Tiger Snakes. Common Fat-tailed Dunnart
have also been reported using dry stone walls in the area west of Werribee in the vicinity of Little
River. 148
8.7 Significance sum m ar y
While dry stone walls, individually and as part of wider cultural landscapes, may have a range of
significance values, their aesthetic and historical significance can be considered to be present
wherever dry stone walls, or even remnants of a wall survive. This is because they nearly always
represent some of the earliest and oldest built fabric related to European settlement in a given
area. They are a key component in the cultural landscape, demonstrating the transition from the
presettlement and squatting era unimproved open plains to a subdivided privately owned and
fenced landscape.
Aesthetic values also lie in the individual structures, with a small number of walls demonstrating
a rustic beauty which results from the combination of technical mastery in the design of the wall,
and the complex texture and patterning of their weathered, lichen-encrusted natural stone
surfaces.
The critical aspects of a wall's significance are therefore its original form and character, special
historical associations, and its level of integrity. A wall where at least part of the original structure
is intact will be more significant than one where all the coping and most of the height of the wall
has fallen off the original alignment or been removed. However, in some cases a collapsed wall
may have its significance recovered through reconstruction.
Therefore, a summary appraisal, taking into account the above significance criteria, structural
and functional types and level of intactness, has been adopted as follows to classify walls in the
field, and in the mapping and assessments in this study:
A Full height w alls & w alls w it h special hist or ical associat ions; at least 40% int egr it y
Full height walls are between 1.1 and 1.3m high, nearly always with substantial coping stones,
and often with through stones. 1.2 height walls with historical associations are generally part of
substantial farming properties, or related to specific land uses or periods of development, such
as the Little River Farmers Common.
B Full height w alls less t han 40% but m or e t han 20% int act ; & height com posit e w alls
at least 40% int egr it y
These are the more intact 'typical' walls of the area. Some full-height walls, less than 40% intact,
have been altered with the introduction of post and wire, possibly because the skill to rebuild
them to full height was no longer available. Half-height walls, more than 40% intact, still have
some small sections that are intact to their original height and construction, but in most cases
have up to half their structure either fallen or inexpertly replaced.
C Half-height com posit e w alls, less t han 40%, but m or e t he 20% int act
These walls still have some small sections which demonstrate their original form, but more than
half their structure is either fallen or inexpertly replaced, and in many cases substantial
amounts of stone have been removed, for example walls along well used local roads have had
much of the coping stone stolen.
148 Pers. com. Craig Dodson, Area Leader Conservation, Parks, City of Wyndham. 2.7.2014

D Full and half height w alls less t han 20% int act
These walls still demonstrate their original form but do not have any sections intact, and have a
large part of their stone removed.
E Wall r em nant s and single cour se w alls
These were either never intended as dry stone walls in the first place, but were merely where
farmers had piled gleaned stone from the paddocks, or where a wall once existed but had been
removed apart from foundation stones.
Recent and past r em ovals No longer ext ant
A large number of walls identifiable from historical maps 1917 and aerial photographs, or which
have been photographed or recorded in the recent past, are no longer extant. These have been
removed as part of farm improvements or urban development. ('recent removed' refers to
walls that were recorded or identified from aerial photographs as being extant in the last 10-15
years, but which have since been demolished, while 'past removed' refers to walls known from
historical sources such as the 1917 and 1933 map or 1945 aerial photographs, but which
cannot be identified on the ground).
Moder n w alls
There are a few walls built from scratch in the last 20 years which are not considered to be part
of the present study and may not qualify for any form of heritage protection. These include
modern domestic landscaping and property entrances, and the feature wall at Doherty's Road
erected by the Truganina Landcare Group.

9 Survey results and historical assessment
Over 625 segments of dry stone walls have been recorded in the City of Wyndham as a result of
background research, historical mapping interpretation, field survey and detailed property
inspections.
A number of associated historical sites or features were also noted during the survey, generally
comprising the places previously recorded in past archaeological surveys, the Wyndham Heritage
Study, and a small number of previously unrecorded sites. Many of the previously recorded sites
were reinspected to confirm previous assessments from the Wyndham Heritage Study, and to
determine possible relationships to associated dry stone walls.
The following section provides a summary of the historic dry stone walls in the study area,
described according to the main localities: Truganina, Tarneit, Werribee/Wyndham Vale and Little
River, commencing in the north east and ending in the south west. Accompanying plans show
walls related to the historical sites and themes. These are intended to provide context for
decisions in managing walls for example, so that comparison can be made and decisions about
overall retention and selection of walls to conserve or remove.

Figure 26: Key map of dry stone wall locality areas

The discussions of these localities do not deal with all walls in Wyndham, as a number of walls
occur as isolated sections or groups of walls. However, other walls are listed in the accompanying
spreadsheet in Appendix 7.
Detailed maps of dry stone wall locations are shown in Appendix 6. Small, site specific maps are
also provided in the following section. The following legend indicates what features are shown on
each of these Figures.
Figure 27: Legend for dry stone wall assessment criteria outlined in Section0

9.1 Truganina
The Truganina area has the largest concentration of dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham.
There are over 50 kilometres of walls in the area between Boundary Road to the north, Leakes
Road to the south, Derrimut Road in the west and Dohertys Creek to the east. This area was
dominated by a small group of farmers, including the Doherty Brothers, John Robertson, Colin
Campbell, John Wood, W & P Gardner and later Leake, Missen and Samuel Evans.
Wesleyan
Chapel
Evans/Wood
farm
Robertson's
Truganina Estate
Truganina
Settlement
May farm
Doherty's farm
Skeleton Creek
Vineyard Estate
water reserve
Figure 28: Dry stone wall localities in the Truganina area.

9.1.1 Tr uganina set t lem ent
Location: corner Dohertys Road & Woods Road Truganina
Figure 29: Plan of stone walls around the Truganina settlement
History
Local government and the beginnings of community services in the Werribee area can be traced
to the 1860s, when schools, churches, hospitals and public cemeteries were established. A public
cemetery was proclaimed in Truganina in 1864, the same year as that in Werribee. The Truganina
Cemetery Reserve on the west side of Woods Road (Crown Allotment 6B, Section XV, Parish of
Truganina) was gazetted in 1865. This was adjacent to William Doherty's property. Doherty was
one of the first members of the Wyndham District Road Board in 1863. The original cemetery
trustees were district farmers, William Leake, John Robinson, John Stewart and Robert Faragher
and Shire Engineer, Thomas Haymes.
Prior to the opening of the cemetery, Truganina residents were buried on enclosures within
district farming properties. For example, Samuel and Henry Cropley are said to have been buried
on their May Farm property. The first burial in Truganina cemetery was on 4 October 1865,
before the site had been proclaimed.149 Local people have retained a strong association with
the cemetery. 150
The dry stone wall which once enclosed the Truganina cemetery was dismantled by the Silk
brothers in the early 1960s and the stone was used to form a dam on Davis Creek, south of
149 History of Truganina State School 1930.

150 Wyndham City Libraries, Truganina Township and Cemetery, Dohertys Road (corner Woods Road), Truganina,
Wyndham History, accessed February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/985. Geo. F. Green in
his 1935 publication A brief history of Truganina from the coming of the white man to 1935

Hogans Road, Tarneit. Ian and Campbell Cowie subsequently installed new fence posts around
three sides of the cemetery in 1963. 151
The Presbyterian Church was established on the north east corner of Woods and Doherty's Road
where a large oak tree remains. A stone wall at Truganina school (built 1869 with teachers
residence 1870) once separated the girls' and boys' yards, but both school and wall are now
gone. 152
Figure 30: Truganina School note wall on right
Figure 31: Oak tree at Truganina Presbyterian chapel site
151 Comments provided by Frances Overmars October 2014 citing pers.comm. from Ian Cowie.
152 Green, Geo. F., A brief history of Truganina from the coming of white man to 1935, 1935. Thompson, E.C. The
history of school No. 192, Truganina, The Educational Magazine, Vol. 17(10), 1960, p. 468-475.

Figure 32: Dry stone wall along Woods Road north of Truganina settlement
Description
Only fragments survive of the dry stone walls which once created a sense of enclosure at the
Truganina settlement. These are sections of the walls along Woods Road to the south (wall 1698)
and north (walls 861 & 863) of the Doherty's Road Crossing, and on the south side of Doherty's
Road adjacent to the reserve (wall 870). A section of wall extends to the west from the cemetery
reserve (wall 18), while there was originally a wall around the cemetery, but this has been
removed down to its foundations (walls 300 & 1074). A small segment of heavily disturbed wall is
opposite the former church site (wall 864). Walls to the east and south of the settlement were
most recently removed for the construction of the regional rail link railway (walls 865, 866, 869,
1700, 1701).
These walls are also part of the Doherty Truganina farm and May Farm.

9.1.2 Doher t y's Tr uganina Far m
Location: Woods Rd & Dohertys Road, Truganina.
Figure 33: Approximate extent of Doherty's Truganina Farm, from 1933 Army Survey map
History
The Doherty brothers' farms were scattered through the Truganina area and changed size and
shape with their various land purchases and divestments over the several decades that the
family were farming in the district.
John Doherty arrived in Victoria in 1843 and was one of a family of 13. He selected land and
settled in the Truganina District in the 1850s and by the 1890s was farming about 200 acres,
included land leased from Clarke. William Doherty acquired Lots B & D Section XXII west of
Truganina, and William and George Doherty had several allotments in Section XXVI east of
Skeleton Creek (including lots 1 & 3, and Lots 5 & 6 Section XV) in the late 1850s and early 1860s.
Doherty brothers eventually purchased more land privately including the block containing the
wine cellars.
When the first Wyndham Road District was proclaimed in October 1862, William Doherty, one of
Johns brothers, was one of seven elected members, along with his neighbours, William Leake,
Robert Chirnside and Elliot Armstrong.
The Doherty Road property was sold to the Moroney family, then to Didier and then to Colin
Morton in about 1969. During the bush fires in that year, the farm and homestead buildings near
Dry Creek were burnt out and only the bluestone walls remain. 153
Description
The Doherty Farm walls comprise a series of mostly collapsed walls around the former house
site, and other walls associated with discontinuous farm allotments in the Truganina Area. These
153 Gary Vines, Doherty's farm, Doherty's Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4, 2014,
http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/1156.

walls are generally typical in construction and form for the region, comprising 2-4 courses of
stone with partly intact coping and timber post and 2-3 wire fence.
The remains of the bluestone (formerly two-storied) villa house on a property (formerly owned by
Mr Doherty in 1877) is the largest bluestone ruin in the district, it was gutted in the 1969 bush
fires.154 Includes Walls 5, 18, 19, 23, 26, 29, 30, 31, 45, 485, 836, 838, 867-885, 988, 989.
The farm was adjacent to the Truganina Skeleton Creek water reserve, which was also walled.
9.1.3 May Far m

Location: 485 Dohertys Road, Truganina
Figure 34: May Farm from 1933 Army Survey map
History
B. E. Cropley acquired Sections XVI and XVII as early as 1858, and by 1863, the first Wyndham
District Board rated Benjamin and Effield Cropley for a 315 acre farm at Truganina, comprising
250 acres under pasture and 65 acres under cultivation. In the 1880s the farm is listed as155
acres in Allotment 3 and a 159 acres farm in Allotment 2 of Section XVI, Parish of Truganina.
George Cropley was leasing both properties from the Crown. Today, the May Farm homestead
stands on Allotment 3 of Section XVI. The four Cropley brothers George, Benjamin, Effield and
John were early Truganina farmers, all early Baptist stalwarts who married four Earle sisters. 155
The entrance drive from Dohertys Road to May Farm is marked on a 1915 Army Ordnance map,
showing the property extending across the two allotments. A later, 1933 Army map shows the
property name May Farm near this drive. It is said that Cropley descendants were living around
Truganina in the 1960s. The graves of Samuel and Henry Cropley are said to be located in a
corner of the property. The grave sites were once fenced off near a corner of the property, but
are now cropped. It is thought that they died during a diphtheria epidemic.156
154 Wyndham Heritage Study 1997 p.169

155 Wyndham, our story, 2013 Wyndham City Council, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/729
156 Context Pty Ltd and Dr Carlotta Kellaway / Heritage of the City of Wyndham: Vol. 2; heritage places: City of
Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, Werribee: Wyndham City Council, 1987.

Description
The May Farm walls survive on Dohertys Road and Leakes Road, and along the western property
boundary adjoining Doherty's Farm. These are mostly collapsed half walls, with some old split
timber posts.
Walls included 45, 46, 439, 890, 875 wall 45 is the Doherty boundary and is the most substantial
and intact, however, much of this property is currently undergoing development for new
warehousing.
9.1.4 Rober t son's Tr uganina Est at e
Well and dam
Figure 35: Walls of Robertson's Truganina Estate from 1933 Army Survey map
History
R. Hepburn first acquired this allotment (Allotment G, Section XXII, Parish of Tarneit) of 113 acres
in 1854.
John Robertson, a gentleman farmer keen on racehorses, owned this property. He was also
owner of a large dyeing works in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. One story, probably apocryphal,
was that Robertson constructed a tower near Skeleton Creek to watch over his flocks. This
became a local landmark. It is shown on the 1917 ordnance survey and noted by local
correspondents, but is more likely related to his water supply, and perhaps as a lookout for
Wyndham City Libraries, May Farm, 485 Dohertys Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4, 2014,

vanity's sake.157 The most notable feature is said to have been a 100 foot high tower built of
Oregon, and used by Robertson in his old age to view his racehorses. It was built by Steve
Volante, carpenter, who lived at the site of Arva in Boundary Road. This tower was demolished in
the late 1940s/early 1950s when it became unsafe.
John Robertson was the proprietor of an ink and dye works in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Dougald Taylor worked for Robertson and later owned the property. 158
A complex pattern of dry stone walls around the tower site suggests Robertson consolidated his
landholdings and established a sophisticated animal husbandry system based on segregating
different quality pasture and cultivation paddocks and access to the limited water supply.
The Truganina Estate was sold off in 1905, with an auction subsequently dividing up the land. By
this time the Truganina Estate had encompassed half the land between Boundary Road and
Leakes Road from Derrimut Road to east of Woods Road. At least some lots became part of
Doherty's Farm. 159
Figure 36: Auction poster for Truganina Stud Farm 160
The house and associated farm buildings were destroyed by fire in 1969.161
157 The New Deal. (1936, September 25). Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic.: 1885 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved
September 9, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69627823
158 Wyndham City Libraries, Robertson farm complex, Dohertys Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/441.
159 "Advertising." The Bacchus Marsh Express 4 Nov 1905: 2. Web. 4 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90165924>.
160 Subdivisional sale, the Truganina Stud Farm, the property of the late Mr John Robertson, situated in the parishes
of Truganina and Tarneit, about 16 miles from Melbourne "To be sold 15th November, 1905".. State Library Victoria,
Vale collection, http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/164997
161 City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997

Description
The walls are of varying quality and integrity, but as a whole are significant in demonstrating the
importance of water management some separate stock from waterholes, or direct stock to
watering points. The wall along Skeleton Creek alternates on earthier side of the watercourse to
ensure access to stock to water. The angled wall and enclosure near the well and waterhole was
for directing stock to the creek. In each case the purpose is to control how livestock were watered
and reduce the fouling of the limited water supply. The walls radiating from the homestead
paddocks were part of a common practice of managing stock rotation through paddocks.
The homestead site, located on a low crest east of Hopkins Road, is enclosed by a drystone wall.
Set within this walled garden of peppercorns and sugar gums are the remains of a bluestone
house and several other features. Stockyards have been built within the drystone wall. Nearby,
outside the drystone wall, there is a stone-faced dam and stone-lined outlet to the creek and a
stone-lined well nearby.162
Figure 37: Looking towards Robertson's Homestead site, Wall 6 on right, 306 near trees in background
162 This includes walls described in the C175-177 panel and Frances Overmars.

Figure 38: Intact section of full height wall 306 near Robertson's Homestead
9.1.5 Wine Cellar and Skelet on Cr eek w at er r eser ve

Location: Skeleton Creek, Truganina
Figure 39: Tarneit and Truganina Parish Plans, showing Campbell's land and Skeleton Creek water reserve
History
Colin Campbell established a farm and vineyard on Skeleton Creek (Lot G, Section XXI, Parish of
Tarneit) having purchased this land in the sale of Crown Lands in November 1853. When he put
the land up for sale in 1862 it was described as containing a '3 room house, kitchen, dairy, fruit

trees and vines'. 163 Campbell was rated for Vines and Pasture on Skeleton Creek from about
1864 until about 1887, although he seems to have mortgaged or leased it to H. J. Langdon in the
1870s. In April 1870 the property is advertised as for sale by auction as 'The Vineyard Estate' with
a 4 room house, 14,000 vines and two cellars for preserving and storing the wine. 164 In the early
1870s, John Doherty briefly occupied the vineyard and farm and from 1875, it was leased by John
Robertson. Dougald Taylor, a horse breaker and later property manager on Robertson's
Truganina Estate, bought The Tower and acquired the site of the wine cellars. The Campbell
property was soon transferred to Henry Moss, an Essendon contractor, who also owned a farm
homestead on an allotment on the north side of Leakes Road. By the 1920s, the site of
Campbells wine cellars was owned by A. Morton Begg of Newport. 165
On the opposite bank of the creek is the Skeleton Waterholes watering reserve, where travelling
livestock could be rested and watered. These water reserves were scattered across Victoria, with
most parishes having at least one. Access is via a long drive which starts at a gate on the west
side of Woods Road (north of Leakes Road). Just south of this is a stone ruin and walled yard
beside the east bank of Skeleton Creek, which Wixted identifies as having been built by the first
land purchaser George Eades, possibly as early as 1854.
Figure 40: Skeleton Creek water reserve note low dry stone walls in distance. 166
Description
Campbell's cellars comprise ruins of two bluestone buildings (partly dry stone construction) on
the west side of Skeleton Creek, connected by a drystone wall. The smaller of the two is built of
drystone construction. The larger has two storeys the lower built of drystone construction and
163 The Argus Melbourne 20 January 1862, p2. Also later identified as a 4 room house (but this may include the
kitchen).
164 David Wixted, 2013, Wyndham North Heritage Strategy, heritage ALLIANCE,
165 Wyndham City Libraries, Wine Cellars, Skeleton Creek, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4,
2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/1018.
166 Wyndham City Libraries, Skeleton Creek Water Reserve, Leakes Road (north side of creek), Truganina,
Wyndham History, accessed May 13, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/987.

the upper mortared. Overgrown box thorn surrounds the site, and there are remnant mulberry
trees.167
The small cellar is of dry-stone construction while the larger, thought to have been two-storeyed,
has a mortared upper section. Mulberry trees also still remain near the site. It was thought earlier
that the vineyard on Skeleton Creek was associated with the Leake family but this has been
demonstrated to be an error. 168
The Eades ruins and walls are on an adjoining allotment that Leake had purchased by 1877 and
incorporated into his farm.
The walls form a distinctive grouping, enclosed in the shallow valley of the creek and contrasting
with the open flat landscape surrounding them (walls 16, 20, 22, 23, 30, 31, 597, 892, 894, 895,
1044, 1045, 1634, 1635).
Figure 41: View of stone walls from the west side of Skeleton Creek.
Figure 42: Stone yards south of water reserve on east side of Skeleton Creek (photo, Bill Strong)
167 City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997; recorded by H. du Cros and P. Watt in Skeleton Creek catchment:
Aboriginal and European heritage study, 1993, p.19.
168 David Wixted, 2013, Wyndham North Heritage Strategy, heritage ALLIANCE,
9.1.6 Evans / Wood far m
Location: 725 Boundary Road, Truganina
Figure 43: Evans Farm walls from 1933 Army Survey map
History
John Wood was the first owner in 1858 of 159 acres and 112 acres (CA5 & 6 Sec XXVII), which by
the early 1860s had been incorporated into the adjacent farm of Samuel Evans, (CA 4 Sec XXV).
Following Samuels death, James H. Evans, farmed the property. Edward Charles Evans was
owner/occupier from around WWI to 1930s. After Edwards death, the Carters of Carters Poultry
Farm reputedly owned the Boundary Road property.169
The stone walls along Woods Road and Boundary Road were almost certainly constructed by or
for John Wood. The survey plan from 1858 indicates the and along Woods road was 'stony in
places' while to the east it was 'well grassed plains free from stone', giving some insight to the
distribution and form of walls. 170
Description
The Evans Farm walls survive along the western portion. The eastern part was taken over during
World War Two for the munitions storage facility, and the walls in this area were removed.
Surviving walls are characteristic half walls, with a long section along the western boundary on
Woods Road (wall 523) while the dividing wall on the south west (wall 40) has remnant hedge
planting of both boxthorn and Tree Violet. The Boundary Road walls (625 626) are not as well
preserved. Substantial sections of wall along the north and south boundary were recently
removed for the construction of the Regional Rail Link.
169 Wyndham City Libraries, Evans house (former), 725 Boundary Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
170 Parish of Truganina, County of B ourke, Crown Lands Victoria 1858.
Figure 44: Woods Road wall single 'Galloway Dyke' half wall (623)
Figure 45: Woods Road wall looking north Evans farm on the right.
9.1.7 Wesleyan Chapel Sk elet on Cr eek
West of 865 Boundary Road Tarneit/Truganina (Lot 1 TP23043)
Figure 46: Photograph (painting) of Wesleyan Church

A Wesleyan Church was established on Boundary Road on the Woods Rd corner, according to
Albert Evans, No. 49 Wesleyan church this was the only church in the district until the Baptist was
built in1861 after Samuel Evans gave acre of land for it to be built on. The school remained
there until the Truganina School was built in 1869.171
The Baptist church site on Skeleton Creek at the border of Tarneit and Truganina parishes, served
as both a church and school . 172 It was still standing until almost the end of the century. 173
A history of the Truganina School No.192 refers to a chapel, but the current locals call it a
Church. 174 The Methodist Church is mentioned in Green's history of Truganina as being located
on Boundary Road, and a wedding is mentioned in the Methodist Church in 1861. 175
James notes that "In Truganina village, the first religious service was held in 1856 by Sam Hayes,
the first school teacher in the settlement. It was a Wesleyan service and his action encouraged
some residents to build a bluestone Wesleyan Chapel. In 1862 a Baptist church was erected." 176
171 Albert Evans Early Settlers to the 1969 Fires. Pers com. Frances Overmars 25 March 2015. However the Wyndham
N orth Heritage Study (pg. XXVI Appendix B WPS HO 39 Oak Tree (former church site), claims that the Wesleyan
church was erected on the banks of Skeleton Creek around 1859. And A few years later, local farmer Samuel Evans
donated a quarter-acre block on the north-eastern corner of Dohertys and Woods Roads as a site for a new Baptist
church. The building, opened in 1863, was a small gabled- roofed structure clad entirely in corrugated galvanised
steel. Which seems to put the sequence of building in reverse.
172 Albert Evans Early Settlers to the 1969 Fires, typescript held by Frances Overmars. 49
173 Ken James and Lance Pritchard Werribee The First 100 Years Second edition 2008, p. 101
174 The History of School N o.192 Truganina Educational Magazine - N ovember 1960 p. 471
175 Geo. Green, A history of Truganina by 1935 pp5 & 6; History of the Mt. Cotterell Schools Draft copy held by
Frances Overmars;; Esther Murray The Plains of Iramoo 1974 p. 103
Figure 47: Triangular block defining the Wesleyan Chapel block
History
The church history at Truganina and Tarneit is somewhat confused. A Baptist church was built in
1862 of corrugated iron as shown below.
Figure 48: Truganina Baptist church/Presbyterian Chapel?177
In 1895 Rev John McIntosh, Minister of the Werribee Presbyterian church began holding services
fortnightly at the Truganina Baptist Church. In 1907 he bought the Baptist Church building for use
176 James, K. N . Werribee, The first One hundred Years pg. 126
177 Werribee and District Historical Society 9836 - Picture Victoria
by the Presbyterian Church and it continued in this use in 1962. The Church was burnt down in
the fires of 1969.178
In 1913, the Presbyterian Church congregation gathered to rebuild the dry stone walls around
the Tarneit chapel, presumably because they had fallen into disrepair:
Description
Small sections of walls bounding a triangular block of land within the Doherty farm on Skeleton
Creek located on Lot 1 TP23043 (west of 865 Boundary Road). The road boundary and wall along
the creek are probably earlier property boundary walls but the straight wall along the eastern
side of the triangle appears to relate to the establishment of the chapel.180
Figure 49: Western boundary wall of Wesleyan Chapel block
178 Werribee Our History, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/999

179 "WERRIBEE" The Bacchus Marsh Express 20 Sep 1913: 2. Web. 21 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90578182>.
180 Wesleyan Church Properties Trusts. [51 VICT.] 319 Tarneit (or Mount Cotterell) conveyance No. 214, Book 121.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/tvwma1887371.pdf
9.2 Tarneit and Mt Cot t r ell
Dry stone walls in the Tarneit and Mt Cottrell area are concentrated along Dry Creek, where
erosion has exposed more surface rock. The Missen and Doherty farms comprise a number of
short sections of wall, while the Peppercorns and Volant farm form another group near
Boundary Road. The Clark dam wall is a distinctive individual structure, while the Wesleyan
Chapel was actually located in Truganina. Boundary Road once had almost continuous dry stone
walls along both sides, possibly an indication of its role as a municipal and parish division, which
was reflected in land ownership and other administrative divisions. For example, the council
instigated a major tree planting along this road, possibly as a form of place marking. There are
also extensive dry stone walls immediately north of Boundary road in the City of Melton.
Peppercorn farm and Volant
Missen Farm
Clarke Dam
Doherty dry creek farm
Figure 50: Plan of stone walls in the Tarneit Area

Other roads with extensive sections of dry stone wall are Dohertys Road, Tarneit Road,
Shannahan's Road, Sewells Road, and Mt Cottrell Road. Kenning Road appears to be a modern
subdivision, but one that was aligned with an existing stone walled property boundary.
Figure 51: Single section of full height wall on Davis road.
9.2.1 The Pepper cor ns and Volant far m
Location: 1625, 1645 Boundary Road, Mt Cottrell
Figure 52: Parish of Tarneit showing Peppercorn Farm Lot A) and Volant House (lot A1)
History
Henry Liddard (or Liddiard) was the first purchaser of Crown allotment A, Sec 25, Parish of
Tarneit. The rate books list Liddard as owning and occupying a farm on 80 acres from 1863 but
there is no mention of a house until 1900 when a "homestead" is listed. The Liddiards come from
a place called Lydiard Millicent in Wiltshire England where 90% were stone masons and so it is
conceivable Henry himself built both the house and walls.181
The property was leased out from 1868 to John Minns, and then to butcher William Minns, from
1871. It was sold out of the Liddard family in 1896 and purchased by Alfred Austin who held the
property until (at least) the 1920's." 182
A Henry Liddiard was buried at Werribee in 1869, in an unmarked grave, almost certainly the
owner, whose death was described in the Argus as follows
"A man named Henry Liddiard, a farmer residing at Mount Cotterell, has committed suicide by drowning
himself in the river Werribee. The deceased was in difficulties, and had been in a desponding state of mind for
several days. On Thursday morning, whilst his wife was preparing breakfast, he ran out of the house towards
the river, which was the last time he was seen alive. His body was recovered on the 18th inst., and an inquest
was held on Monday afternoon by the district coroner, when a verdict was returned in accordance with the
evidence." 183
181 Don Liddard photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/donliddard/

182 1997 - Council Wyndham's Heritage Study adopted : Included p.85
183 The Argus of 20 Apr 1869, p.5
Figure 53: Peppercorns farm and walls
Stephen Volant is known to have owned 80 acres here from 1878, and is listed as owner and
occupier of a farm in 1882, suggesting the house may have existed at this time. Volant increased
his holding by an additional 20 acres by 1898, when the house is first listed. The Volant (or
Volante) family remained in the district, and during the twentieth century had a farm on the
Werribee River. It is likely that Liddiard subdivided his original allotment to accommodate
John Alexander Morton (known as Alec Morton) purchased the 80 acres and dwelling in 1920.
Morton appears to have obtained the property under a soldier settlement scheme, and did not
get final title until 1948. 184 He was one of a number of returned servicemen who established
farms in the Rockbank and Truganina areas after World War 1 but appears the only such farmer
in the Parish of Tarneit.
Description
Pepper cor n far m is a coursed bluestone cottage with ruins of another building and dry stone
walls. The walls around the house are substantial full walls (walls 1522, 1523, 774) although they
have collapsed in places and been reconstructed in a non-professional style. Walls around the
larger paddocks are half walls (walls 53, 56, 57, 770, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 1065).
Volant House is a small asymmetrical timber building with hip and gable roof, six-pane sashed
windows, timber post-supported verandah. The house was in poor condition when assessed in
1990, but was noted as having unusual carpentry techniques. Associated features include a
domed well and peppercorn trees nearby. A more recent weatherboard house is the main
residence of the property. 185 Alternating cactus and cypress plantings line the driveway. A small
184 Closer [and Soldier] Settlement Files 918/12, John Alexander Morton, Pywheitjorrk Tarneit, 1 3 A1 25, 362--1--4
Public Records Office VPRS 5714 /P0000 /872
185 Andrew Ward 'Werribee Growth Area Heritage Study, 1990
stone walled enclosure is behind (wall 1064). Other walls have been removed, or survive as
remnants (walls 54, 55, 1061, 1062, 1066, 1067, 1068).
9.2.2 Doher t y Far m Dr y Cr eek Tar neit far m

Figure 54: Walls around Doherty's and Missen's Tarneit farms from 1933 Army Survey Map
History
The Doherty farm on Dry Creek Tarneit comprised Lots B and D Section XXII, purchased as crown
grant in the 1850s, and Lot B Section XXI south of Doherty's road, originally selected by Duckett.
This was the location of their bluestone homestead, and included holding yards and farm sheds.
William Doherty already owned land opposite (of 156 Acres purchased in November 1853).
Edward Duckett appears to have been a land speculator who sold land from his premises York
Cottage off Little Bourke Street West. In the 1850s he had land for sale in Tarneit, Tullamarine
and Mulgrave.186
As an absentee landlord and speculator, Duckett would have undertaken the minimum
improvements. This may have included the boundary fences, but if the land was not occupied, it
may have remained unfenced for some time. William Doherty purchased the southern allotment
and probably built the bluestone house by 1877. The long delay may be due to the family living
elsewhere, or they were leasing the property prior to this. By 1878 Doherty had retired as a
councillor and taken out notices in the newspaper selling up his properties of about 1,200 acres
combined. 187
Description
The Doherty Tarneit farm is focussed around the ruins of the bluestone homestead on the south
side of Dohertys Road. The coursed, random cut bluestone with corner quoining stones contrasts
with the rounded stone used in the farm walls.
186 "Advertising." The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 20 Apr 1854: 3. Web. 13 May 2014
187 Andrew Ward 1990.
At the road alignment on the north east corner of the site is approximately 150m of stone walling
(wall 1009) while other remnants for the holding paddock walls are to the south (walls 313-5, 903,
986-7, 1042). The main paddocks to the north have been extensively cleared of stone for
cultivation with a long section of good quality half wall marking the western boundary (wall 9) and
various segments of wall along the Derrimut road frontage (walls 1011, 1012, 1015, 1018, 1020).
A small section of reasonably intact wall divides paddocks (wall 1040) while the remnants of the
rest of this wall can be traced as footings only (wall 8).
dislodged stones
9.2.3 Missen Far m
Location: 1030 Dohertys Road, Truganina.
Figure 56: Aerial view of Missen farm showing complex arrangement of walls on Dry Creek
History
Lot C Section XXII Parish of Tarneit was purchased by William and Peter Gardiner in 1858 (some
sources give 1854). The Wyndham rate book of 1864 noted their occupations as farmers and the
land was noted as being occupied by a farm and vineyards in the 1871 ratebook, rated at NAV
of 78. By the turn of the century the rate book identified the Missen family as occupants 796
acres along Dohertys Road. William Missen held allotments A & C of Section 22 and allotment D
of section 23 evidently purchasing freehold in 1901 and building a homestead in 1905, while
Thomas Missen held allotments B & D of Section 22.188 William Missen and his wife had seven
children, and three of the boys remained on the farm. George Missen also had a farm at
Truganina, while other Missen family were located at Rockbank.
Patrick Killen later farmed the property and occupied the house, and after his death the property
was leased to the Pattersons who milked cows here until c1939. After the war it was owned by
the Reid family until it burnt out in the 1969 fires, leaving only stone walls intact. 189
188 Heritage Alliance

189 Andrew Wards Werribee Heritage Study, 1990 on Section 22, Lot C, Parish of Tarneit.
Figure 57: Galloway Dyke single wall beside Dry Creek on Dohertys Road.
Description
The farm is located on a bend of Dry Creek near some deep waterholes on a section of Doherty's
Road known as 'The Dips' due to the triple crossing if Dry Creek. The homestead of randomly
coursed bluestone with mud/lime mortar sits among Victorian plantings, including cacti,
peppercorns and cypresses and a network of dry stone walls that enclose paddocks to the north
and east across the creek.
An internal laneway runs to the north west parallel with Dry Creek, flanked by substantial walls
(walls 825, 898,899, 900. 901). A diagonal wall continues up the creek to Tarneit Road, where
there is a gateway, with substantial, well-constructed wall ends, and a section of consumption
wall (walls 305, 824). Two small cultivation paddocks are near the house and the creek has low
walls, or in some instances just remnants (walls 826, 829, 830). These may have been robbed to
provide stone for other walls, as the original purpose was probably to keep livestock out of
fodder crops, and so substantial fences would have been needed.
The eastern boundary wall (wall 9) is of high quality and quite tall, indicating its importance as a
property boundary, while the south and west boundary walls along the roads are less intact,
probably having also been robbed (walls 825, 826, 896, 897). The wall along the front of the
house paddock (wall 1026) is unusually low for such a position, as these are generally made more
a feature.
Figure 58: Looking east along 'The Dips' near Missen's Farm.
9.2.4 Clar k es Dam
Location: off Doherty's Road
Figure 59: Clarkes dam Tarneit
History
In 1850, W. J. T. 'Big' Clarke, purchased 20,000 acres of crown land in the Sunbury area under a
little used provision of the 1842 Imperial Land Act. This also gave him a 'grass right' to graze stock
on a further 60,000 acres of crown land. Having established himself, he then set about
purchasing large tracks from Sunbury to Truganina, often outbidding other selectors and locking
up important parcels with access to water and roads. He subsequently bought further land from
farmers struggling during hard times.
Crown Allotment B Sec XVIII Tarneit of 157 acres was sold in November 1853 to G. Thomas & J.
Towt although they may have been one of the dummies used by Clarke. The land is otherwise
known as W. J. T. Clarke was the owner of a chequer-board of land across a number of adjacent
parish land sections and the use of dummies was common in the early period of land sales in
Victoria.
Records indicate that the land was in Clarke ownership in the late 1890s although it is probably
he took over this block much earlier. Indeed he is recorded as the owner of 4,076 acres of land in
sections 9 to 28 of Tarneit. In 1897 the ownership passed to (Sir) Rupert Clarke after the death of
his father (W JT) and the rates records show Rupert as the Executor of the estate.
The main centre of his grazing operations was at Rockbank, where the Deanside property
included a very large bluestone shearing shed. Watering stock on the dry plains was an issue, so
he had a number of large dams constructed with earth embankments faced on the upside, with
dry stone walling to prevent the soil collapsing. A similar dam was built north of Deanside, and
another on Coimadai Road.
The 'Travelling Reporter' in the Australasian of 1876 described Rockbank sheep station as 40,000
acres in extent, and carried some 33,000 to 36,000 sheep (depending on the season), and some
800 head of cattle. The land was 'all open plains, with scarcely any shelter for the stock'.190
In 1879 the local paper advertised for 'Stonewallers wanted on Rockbank Station. Apply the
Manager' while in 1880 an advertisement asked 'Wanted. Stonewallers on Rockbank Station.
Apply The Raglan Hotel or Monmouthshire Hotel.' 191 It is probably that dry stone wallers were
periodically employed on Clarke's property to improve fencing, and these same men probably
also assisted in the construction of the dam walls.
Description
The dam comprises a section of the basalt dry stone wall about 400 m south west of the
intersection of Dohertys Road and Sewells Road. The dam wall is about 150 m long and stands as
much as 10m high, although it appears to have been breached by floods. Boxthorn has grown
both on top of the embankment and among the stones.
An associated farm wall along Sewells Road (wall 910, 912) may be contemporary or more likely
earlier, but has some elements of similarity with fairly large stones used along the base.
Figure 60: Clarke's dam from Boundary Road (photo Bill Strong)
190 Australasian Travelling Reporter, 28/1011876

191 The Melton Express, 10/5/1879; 6/3/1880.
9.3 Wer ribee & Wyndham Vale
9.3.1 Wer r ibee Par k Ha-ha

Werribee Park off K Road Werribee
Figure 61: Location of ha-ha wall at Werribee Park

History
The Werribee Park property was established first as a pastoral lease by Thomas Chirnside, who
with his brother Andrew held vast acreages across Western Victoria from the 1840s. Thomas
Chirnside acquired most of the land from Skeleton Creek and across the southern side of the
Werribee River. Chirnside developed a complex of outbuildings on the property through the
1850s and 1860s. The first substantial dwelling on the site was a bluestone homestead, with
associated sunken ha-ha wall, built in 1865 for his own occasional use and as a permanent base
for his nephew, Robert, who managed the property from 1859 to 1866, and tenanted it until
1873.
Description
Stone ruins near the river are believed to be remains of the 1853 house; some stone outbuildings
certainly survive along with bluestone woolshed (1861-2) bluestone stables (by 1868), Ration
House, and homestead. The mansion, built by Thomas and Andrew, was probably planned from
1870 and built by late 1876 or early 1877. 192
The ha-ha wall curves around the lawn in front of the homestead. It stands about 1.5m high with
a small parapet rising above the surrounding lawn. A partial iron picket fence has been installed
on top of the wall.
192 Wyndham City Libraries, Werribee Park, Princes Highway, Werribee, Wyndham History, accessed February 4,
Figure 62: Ha-ha wall in front of original Werribee Park Homestead (Photo Bill Strong)
9.3.2 Ballan Road w alls
through Chirnside's Section VI. 193
History
Thomas Chirnside purchased most of the land along both sides of Ballan Road around 1863-5,
having previously grazed it under pastoral licences. Only a few blocks escaped him Henry
Morgan Murphy bought Section XVIII, Alexander Wilson obtained the surrounding land, but was
an absentee landlord with his home and main property at Woodlands Tullamarine, Thomas
Hobbs acquired most of Section VII and VIII to the east of Chirnside on the river, and James
Anderson took the pre-emptive right for his Lollypop Ponds run on Lot B Section V, which
Chirnside appears to have subsequently acquired in any case.
As early as 1857, John and Robert Scott owned 266 acres south of Ballan Road (CA 1 Sec XIX)
Mambourin to the south and the family stayed in the area for more than 60 years, leasing land
from the Chirnsides, and purchasing some blocks to expand the farm. A bluestone house was
193 Victoria. Department of Crown Lands and Survey. Werribee, County of Grant [cartographic material] 1880. MAP
RM 2741/316.
erected on Ballan Road before 1890 when Mary Ellen Scott occupied 2 acres in town allotments
in the Parish of Mambourin.194
The Parish Plan suggests Ballan road was initially intended to run around the west and south of
Anderson's pre-emptive right perhaps because Chirnside had tried to reduce the division of his
large Section VI block, but in about 1870, a two chain wide reserve was ceded to the Wyndham
Shire Council to put the more direct route through. Therefore, the section of fence in Section VI is
likely to have been built later than that to the north.
Description
The Ballan road walls are nearly continuous from the outskirts of Werribee to the edge of
Wilson's property. The walls are mainly on the north side of Ballan Road, and it is likely that
Chirnside initially only fenced one side of the road relying on gates to allow travellers through.
The Ballan Road walls link up with the boundary walls of Chirnside's original estate, with other
sections of wall marking the division between his land and Wilson to the northwest (wall 65) and
Hobbs to the east (walls 113, 601, 602).
There are extensive mature Sugar Gum plantations along large sections of the roadside within
the private property, indicating these were part of shelter belts planted, probably when the
Chirnsides began selling up the land. Parts of the walls have been diminished in recent years as
the eastern end has succumbed to road widening and adjoining suburban development.
Figure 64: Repaired section of Ballan road wall with sugar gums
Figure 65: North west end of Ballan road wall with boundary wall (65) to Wilson property.
194 Wyndham City Libraries, Hegarty's house, Ballan Road (SE corner Edgar Street), Werribee, Wyndham History,
9.3.3 Scot t / Hanley far m w alls Black For est Road
Location: Western end of Black Forest Road Werribee.
Figure 66: Walls at Scott's Black Forest Road farm
Figure 67: Scott farmhouse Black Forest Road
History
John & Robert Scott purchased some of the few lots in Mambourin Parish in 1857 that Thomas
Chirnside did not acquire. Straddling Black Forest Road, their lots were also adjacent to a large
swamp, which may have made the difference to the farm's viability in this otherwise very sparsely
settled part of Wyndham.
It is possible that the Scotts obtained other land by lease or purchase from the Chirnsides, as the
farm complex is located on an adjacent (Sec 20 lot 2) a block originally purchased by Chirnside.
Captain John Percy Chirnside leased a parcel of 348 acres, which included the land on which the
house and stone walls are located to John W. Hanley in 1910. At that time the property was
valued at 143 pounds.195 Another house belonging to the Scott family was built on Ballan road to
the north, 196 suggesting they may have leased and farmed the intervening Chirnside paddocks.
In 1927, the property was purchased as Allotments 1, 2 and 3 by Leslie Francis Munckton, a
farmer of Spring Park Werribee (Certificate of Title, Vol. 5244 Folio 1048653). Munckton retained
the property until the mid-1940s, after which it changed hands numerous times until the present
owners purchased the property in 1989. 197
Description
Substantial dry stone walls stand on either side of a timber house and timber and corrugated
iron outbuildings are located adjacent to a large swamp on Black Forest Road. The fences nearest
the house are dry stone walls on both side of the road, (walls 1314-1317). Boundary walls to
Scott's original land purchase (walls 139, 141) extend to the south. The walls along Black Forest
Road to the east have been mostly removed, with recent work for the regional Rail Link and
housing subdivision the most recent impact.
195 Shire of Werribee Rate book 1910-11, South Riding No. 4434
197 Wyndham Heritage Study review 2004.
9.4 Lit t le River
9.4.1 Lit t le River Unit ed Far m er s Com m on

Location: Edgars Road (east side), Little River
Figure 68: Stone walls of the Little River Farmers Common note decade of land sales colour coded
History
In 1858 farmers in the Little River district formed the Little River Farmers' Association to "protect
farmers' commons from the depredations of Squatters Grant and Chirnside".198 In August 1859,
a meeting of Little River residents demanded the establishment of a farmers' common on unsold
or waste land where they could graze their cattle. John Rees, a local farmer, and later MLA for
Grant, played a major role in this agitation. Rees argued in December 1860 that district residents
should "enjoy the same right to depasture stock on the waist (sic) lands of the Crown as is
accorded to the squatter and wealth landowners". 199
198 Wynd, So fine a country, p. 80 ; Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer 23 October 1858 and 26 April 1861.
http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/michaelmurray/Part%2006.pdf
199 John Rees (1825-1917), according to an "In Memoriam" service following his death, was born in Bristol, England
and came to Australia in 1849. He went to Geelong and then to the diggings at Ballarat and Bendigo. In 1852 he
settled at Little River and in 1856 began the agitation for a farmers' common. In 1875 Rees became MLA for Grant,
holding the position for the next 12 years. He was a Lara councillor and twice President, and secretary of the
cemetery for 50 years. Rees was a Sunday School Superintendent of the Little River Methodist Church for over 30
years. An article in the district press described his "strong and commanding" personality with "fidelity to the trust of
friendship".
The United Farmers Common of Little River and Duck Ponds was proclaimed on 8 March 1861
and gazetted in 1863.200 The common covered 20,000 acres extending from below the railway
line to Bulban Road on the north, Edgars Road on the west and Newton Road on the east. The
proclamation read:
"AT LITTLE RIVER, County of Grant, Parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Youang -Extent, about 20000 acres: Being the
unappropriated Crown lands within the parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Youang.201
Rules and regulations were drawn up on 27 August 1862 and this was followed by an
amalgamation with the newly established Ducks Pond United Common. There was continuing
friction between farmers and district squatters, such as the Chirnsides. In February 1863, Rees
complained that at least "70 head of cattle are missing from the Bulban Common" and that some
had been "found in a pound about 20 miles from the common" and "at the same time thousands
of the Squatters Sheep is allowed quitely (sic) to graze on the common".
A large grass fire in 1865, burnt through almost the entire common, as well as most of Edgar's
property, and a large part of Chirnside's estate, having started from a shepherd's pipe.202
At the Corio Shire Hall at Duck Ponds in 1866, twentytwo rules and regulations were passed and
managers were appointed, included Francis Beech, James English and John Miller. English, who
originally settled at Lara in 1857, was replaced with Moodie Drysdale in 1867 and James Ramage
replaced Beech in 1868. English returned, serving until at least the 1890s. 203
After the establishment of Wyndham Shire Council, the new body tried to settle the disputes
between squatters and farmers over right to use Crown Land by establishing a pound. Later, in
the 1870s, Patrick Kelly, the Shire President, founded a Wyndham Ratepayers Association that
aimed at protecting farmers against the enclosing of public roads. However, during that decade,
much of the district common land was thrown open for selection. 204
The alienation of lands from the Commons had already commenced in 1868, when the area was
opened for application for licence for occupation under section 42 of the Amending Land Act
1865. 205
Some of the impact on the Commons came from the presence of the adjacent Mouyong pastoral
estate of William Synnot, which was originally established as early as 1841, and tied up much of
the good farming land along the Little River. 206
Description
The Little River commons walls are concentrated along Edgars Road and Narraburra Road,
McPhersons Road and Bulban Road. The walls are a mix of full height walls made with a large
amount of small stones, and half height walls that have fewer large stones. This appears to be
200 Victoria Government Gazette, vol. 13, 5 February 1863, p.286; vol. 57, 18 May 1866, p.1086; vol. 88, 18 July 1865,
p.1580; vol. 107, 1 October 1867, p.1875; Wynd, So fine a country, p.548.
201 Farmers Commons, PROCLAMATION. Presented To Both Houses Of Parliament By His Excellency's Command.
Victorian Parliamentary Papers, , 1860-61, http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1860-61N o41.pdf
202 "VICTORIA." The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) 16 Jan 1865: 3. Web. 15 May 2014
203 David Rowe, 2013, Lara Heritage Review Phase 2: Draft Thematic History, February 2013,
205 Victorian Government Gazette, N o 128, 1868, http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1868/V/general/128.pdf
partially geographic as the land near the Edgars Swamp was more fertile and so more effort was
put into clearing it, while further east rocky rises were left as unimproved large grazing paddocks.
Figure 69: Characteristic paddock division half wall, north of Narraburra Road (wall 153)
One small detail of the walls in the former Farmers Common area, is at the intersection of Edgars
Road and Kirks Bridge Road, where the wall on the south east (wall 1611) diverges around a
stone rise, with a remnant track showing how the roadway had to diverge to avoid the rocky
obstacle. This was later removed and the road straightened, but the fence line remained.
Figure 70: Wall diverging around stony rise on Edgars Road.
Figure 71: Example of wall building and preserved half wall with coping intact (wall 731)
Figure 72: Section of wall around stony rise, encroaching on private land (wall 1611).
Figure 73: Walls at corner of McPherson's and Newton's Roads showing dog-leg corner
9.4.2 Ball house and w alls
Location: 135-173 Little River Road (adjacent railway line), Little River
Figure 74: Ball house ruin little river (photo Wyndham history 207)
Description
This complex of bluestone building remains in a ruined state and dry stone wall enclosures close
to the railway line to the east of Little River township. Two of the buildings on the site may have
once formed a single structure. One has a bluestone wall, once with a gabled roof and is
assumed to be the house. The other, possibly a barn or shed, is similar in form with both
bluestone and brick components, but retains its roof. A third ruinous stone structure may be an
above ground cool store. The ruins are surrounded by dense boxthorn and dry stone walls
forming small enclosures, as well as longer paddock walls.
Figure 75: Ball house and farm most walls are combination boxthorn hedge walls.
207 http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/287
History
George Ball, a farmer, occupied four acres of land in the Railway Reserve, which was owned by
the Railway Department in 1910 or earlier.208 George Ball, (with John Ball) was owner during the
First World War period. 209 By the late I 920s, Emma Ball was rated for the four acres in the
Railway Reserve. 210 Ball descendants, Margaret and Emma, who helped at the Little River School,
remember growing up in the old house. 211
George and Thomas Ball owned a farm homestead on 48 acres of land on the south side of Little
River Road between McLeans and Devines Roads in the 1890s. 212 In the late I 920s, Emma Ball
owned the homestead property on 49 acres of land in Little River Road (Crown Allotment 2 in
Section I, Parish of Bulban). 213 Mrs G. M. Green, who subdivided land on the north side of Little
River Road in 1975, 214 is said to also own the site of the old building on the railway line. 215
Both parcels of land appear to have been part of the Little River Farmers Common at least up to
the 1990s.
9.4.3 Lit t le River Road / Old Melbour ne Road

Location: Old Melbourne Road, Little River
Figure 76: Little River Road / Old Melbourne Road walls heading into Little River.
208 Shire of Werribee rate book 1910-11 South Riding N o. 4273.

209 Shire of Werribee rate book 1913-14 South Riding N o. 5332; 1919-20 South Riding N o. 5263.
210 Shire of Werribee rate book 1929-30 South Riding N o. 3567.
211 Wyndham Heritage Study 1997 citing Frank Shaw. pers. comm.
212 Shire of Werribee rate book 1897-98 South Riding N o. 3272 N AV 25 pounds.
213 Shire of Werribee rate book 1929-30 South Riding N o. 3566 N AV 25 pounds.
214 L. P. 118913 (Mrs G. M. Green 17 May 1975
215 Wyndham Heritage Study 1997 citing Frank Shaw. pers. comm.
History
Little River Road and Old Melbourne Road form one of three very early routes taken between
Melbourne and Geelong. A northern route passed north of Little River through Greeves Station
where the Golden Fleece Inn served travelers crossing the ford at the Werribee, then known as
the River Exe. The southern route ran close to the coast, while the middle route, through the
town of Rothwell, followed Old Melbourne Road to the present Little River turn off, then down to
the ford at the site of the surviving 1866-7 bluestone Rothwell Bridge.
Silas Harding had the land straddling the Melbourne Road at Little River. Connor Powel
purchased Section 1 east of Harding, and Henry Grass & Son had most of the land beyond Powel
to the east. Most of these properties were sold as crown grant in 1849. Grass was one of the first
squatters in the district, arriving in 1838, the family stayed in the district for a long time, with the
Cocoroc property remaining a substantial estate. The third generation, also called Henry, resided
on the property with a brother and two sisters until his death in 1949.216
Several alternative land routes crossed the Little River, one at Rothwell, another near the railway
line to the north, and a third south at the modern highway. The Rothwell crossing, with its
bluestone bridge, was the main route from the construction of the railway in 1860, to the
completion of the highway deviation opened by the CRB, when it became known as the old
Melbourne road. A new road was constructed in 1948 connecting the old Melbourne road to the
Devines Road corner. With the completion of the freeway connection in the 1970s, the section
east of the turnoff became known as Little River Road. 217
Description
The stone walls are along the south side of Little River Road for the most part, with a section on
the north side to the east. Adjoining farm walls are also substantially built, indicating their role in
separating properties, divided the Gleeson and Harding's properties on the west (wall 319), and
forming the boundary to Henry Grass's vast 'Cocoroc' estate on the east (wall 147). The walls all
appear to have originally been built as full height double walls with even sized large stones used
as coping, and have been kept in repair, but with only rudimentary skill shown in the replacing of
stones.
216 "OBITUARY" Werribee Shire Banner 26 Mar 1942: 2. Web. 16 May 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article74061557>.
217 Parish of Bulban, County of Grant, Imperial measure. Crown Plans Department c1970. Public Records Office
Victoria.
Figure 77: Old Melbourne Road wall (639) in foreground and Grass pre-emptive right boundary wall (319) in
background.
9.4.4 Mouyong
Location: Mouyong Road off Edgars Road, Little River.
History
The Mouyong property was established by George Synnot (1819-1871), who was one of Victoria's
pioneer settlers, arriving in about 1837 and rising to become a prominent Geelong businessman.
He established the firm, George Synnot & Co., in 1854, and operated hide and skin stores, wool
and grain warehouses and engaged in trade. Hawkes Bros. took over the business in 1882.218
With his brother, Monkton Synnot, George managed the main station known as 'Station Peak' of
26,225 acres from at least 1841, while the Mouyong property (also known as Mowyong, Mayong,
Moyong, or Bareacres) appears to have been part of the Station Peak station and included land
on both sides of the Werribee River. 219 In 1850, Synnot purchased over 18,000 acres under pre-
emptive rights in the parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Yowang. 220 In 1857 he sold the property to
Lucius McManus for 10,200 and in the same year it was sold on to William Kaye and James
Butchart who held other land in the area. In 1858 Thomas Chirnside acquired the property but
subsequently transferred it to Andrew Chirnside. The nearby Paradise Farm, Little River of 496
acres, which was owned by the late Mr. Orr, was bought by Robert Chirnside for 6,000 in 1873 to
add to his Mouyong estate. 221 In 1886 Robert put several of his large grazing properties up for 5
year lease, while he returned to England:
At Mowyong, there is a good bluestone dwelling-house, Althouse windmill to supply the garden;
kitchen, stable, and store, men's huts, new stone woolshed for 12 shearers.222
Figure 78: Portion of Parish of Bulban plan showing Synnot's land purchase
The adjoin block south of the shearing shed and immediately north of Mouyong Road (Sec Vb lot
10a) was bought in 1853 by George William Goodman, who appears to have been a land
218 Geelong Historical Records Collection

219 Billis and Kenyon, Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip, p.254.
220 Werribee - The area, its people and heritage. Bill Strong Flickr stream, 'Synnot
family'https://www.flickr.com/groups/799686@ N 21/discuss/72157632778702882/
221 Bacchus Marsh Express 26 July 1873, p.3.
222 "Advertising" The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946) 16 Oct 1886: 5. Web. 20 Jun 2014
speculator, so it might be assumed Synnot also controlled this block. Goodman died 6 Nov 1865
at Connewarre near Geelong, having operated a land sale business for over a decade.223
Description
Mouyong is a large property, retaining a large bluestone shearing shed, another bluestone
building and a timber house (moved to the property). The shearing shed is one of several that
were owned by the Chirnside brothers and has a floor plan similar to the shed at Werribee Park.
Dry stone walls are concentrated to the south of the shearing shed paddock, between it and
Mouyong Road, forming a series of holding paddocks and possibly directly related to the
shearing activities.
Figure 79: Walls near Mouyong from Mouyong Road at western end.
223 Victorian Government Gazette 76, Tuesday, July 17th 1866 pp1470-71.
9.5 Wer ribee River
9.5.1 Eynesbur y ent r ance r oad w alls

Location: Spring Hill Road and Staughton's Bridge Crossing
Figure 80: Staughton's Eynesbury Estate walls
History
Eynesbury homestead is built on part of the Exford run, established by Simon Staughton in the
1840s and divided amongst his sons on his death. Samuel Thomas Staughton built the earliest
two storey section of the Eynesbury homestead in the 1870s.
Samuel Staughton contributed to the community through his role on the first Road Board (1862),
as a member of the Shire Council (President in 1867), as a magistrate and J.P. and finally as the
elected member for Bourke from 1883 until his death in 1901. 224
The Eynesbury Homestead built in the 1870s, is outside the City of Wyndham, but its southern
driveway extends to Springhill Road on the municipal boundary, where a substantial curved dry
stone wall stands as a major entrance feature. Staughton's Estate extended south to Ballan Road,
and so walls along Ballan Road are likely to have been erected by the pastoralist following land
purchase.
Figure 81: Eynesbury ha-ha wall at homestead (photos Red Bubble, and Bill Strong) note: these are not in
Wyndham
224 Wyndham City Libraries, Eynesbury, Eynesbury Road, Eynesbury, Wyndham History, accessed February 4,
Staughton's Bridge was constructed to connect the west end of Dohertys Road with the east end
of Spring Hill Road and provide a much needed crossing in the 17 Miles (27km) between Exford
and Cobbledicks Ford. A deputation of shire councillors met the Commissioner for Public works
in August 1883 to request a grant towards the erection of a bridge, which they considered would
be convenient for travel between Melbourne and Ballarat.225
Construction of the bridge was approved or commenced by January 1885, when it was described
as 269 feet in length between abutments, and its erection will cost about 1500". 226 It was built
by Smith and Jobson and completed in 1886. A proposed timber bridge further upstream at the
north end of Swords Reserve was abandoned after Mrs Sword refused access. The bridge was
damaged by fire in the 1950s and fell into disuse. A related story, perhaps indicating its condition,
was that soldiers camped on Smith's property during the war, singing to keep time, had to break
step because of the bounce created as they marched over the bridge. 227
Description
The substantial but short feature wall (1641) is built on curve at the main entrance driveway top
Eynesbury Homestead on Springhill Road. The wall stands about 10 m long and nearly 2 m high.
The driveway originally crossed the Werribee River at Staughton's Bridge a substantial timber
trestle bridge constructed in the late nineteenth century, and having deep approach cuttings. Dry
stone walls lined the eastern approach to the bridge (walls 1035, 1036).
The ha-ha wall at the homestead (outside City of Wyndham) was the most substantial of a
number of dry stone constructions, with a similar form to the Werribee ha-ha wall.
Figure 82: Walls beside approach to Staughton's Bridge (photo Bill Strong)
225 Minute Book, Shire of Wyndham, 8 August 1883, PROV, source provided by Frances Overmars.
226 Williamstown Advertiser , 3 January 1885.
227 Pers. com. Jack Smith & Information compiled by Rosemary Harrigan, supplied by Frances Overmars 18 October
2014.
9.5.2 Cobbledick s For d and Duk elow s Road
Location: Werribee River at Tarneit.
Figure 83: Walls around Cobbledicks Ford & Dukelows Road

History
A track, probably an early travel route dating from the 1850s or 60s, is believed to have crossed
the plains of Tarneit, to the north of Greek Hill heading south west towards Cobbledicks Ford. 228
The land to the south of Cobbledicks ford reserve, was originally bought by Simon Staughton (Sec
XX Parish of Werribee), and later occupied by his son Samuel. Samuel Cobbledick leased one
square mile from Staughton (Section 20A) from 1868, and extended his farm to 1000 acres by
1879. The Cobbledick family continued to lease the property until 1899. 229 To the north P. Davis
purchased Lots A & C Sec XVIII Parish of Tarneit in the 1850s, and established a substantial mixed
farm on the better soils with the advantage of reliable water.
Cobbledicks bluestone farmhouse (now a ruin) was built in the 1860s on the opposite side of the
river and was connected to the other bank by a ford, known as Cobbledicks Ford. Official public
access over the ford was created when the Wyndham Shire Council opened a road through
Staughton's and Alexander Wilson's land in 1863, aligning with the existing Dukelows Road on the
north side of the Werribee River. 230 This ford provided the only crossing of the river between
228 Context, City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, vol. 2, p118.

229 Wyndham City Libraries, Cobbledick House (ruin), Cobbledicks Ford Road, Wyndham Vale., Wyndham History,
accessed February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/1152
230 Victorian Government Gazette, 63/1027
Werribee and Exford (apart from Staughton's bridge which was built by the Shire of Wyndham in
1883-6).231
Figure 84: Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), showing location of original reserve232
From the turn of the century until at least the 1930s, part of the river flats in Cobbledicks Reserve,
managed by the (former) Shire of Werribee, was let to local farmers occupying nearby properties
including Charles H. Johnson of Mt. Cottrell 1904-5, 1910-11; William Missen Jr. 1913-14; Alfred
and Walter Murray 1914-16; Thomas Crinnigan; and William Ayr.233 The 61 acre reserve, named
after Samuel Cobbledick, an early district farmer, was gazetted in 1872 as a Permanent Reserve
for Watering Purposes and Public Recreation. It is located on the east side of the Werribee River,
west side of Dukelow Road in Section XXVIII, Parish of Tarneit. Water reserves were essential for
travelling stock.
The first recorded incidence of foot and mouth disease in Australia was in 1872 at Cobbledicks
Farm in Victoria. In the late 1880s George Godfrey owned the farm on 213 acres in allotments A
and B, Section XXVII, Parish of Tarneit. This was leased to Henry Dukelow, farmer, who erected a
bluestone house on Crown allotment A, but this was subsequently demolished and replaced with
a timber residence nearby. A farm homestead was recorded on this land in the late 1890s, still
owned by Godfrey and occupied by Dukelow. From the turn of the century Dukelow was listed as
the owner and occupier.234
Description
A ford, paved in cut bluestone pavers crosses the Werribee River at a point about 15 km north
wet of Werribee. Adjacent to the ford is Cobbledicks Reserve, a large open space and recreation
area of about 61 acres.
The approaches to the ford were once lined with substantial dry stone walls, but later works in
the area seem to have removed or damaged these. Remaining walls along Dukelows Road (walls
611, 612, 1330) are well preserved, as are some walls to the south of the ford defining the
231 Minute Book, Shire of Wyndham 8 August 1883, Public Record Office Victoria; Williamstown Advertiser 3 Jan 1885,
erected by Smith and Jobson in 1886 according to information compiled by Rosemary Harrigan references
provided by Francie Overmars October 2014.
232 Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), County of Bourke Thomas Widge (Wedge?), Contract Surveyor, Oct 3rd 1853 ;
photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey Melbourne by J. Noone 29. 9. 73.
233 Wyndham City Libraries, Cobbledicks Ford and Reserve, Cobbledicks Ford Road, Tarneit, Wyndham History,
234 Context, City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, p 119
cultivation paddocks near the river (walls 1333-38) although some of the latter have been
removed.
Figure 85: Stone half wall and sugar gums along Dukelows Road.
10 Survey Analysis
10.1 Recor ding
The Wyndham Dry Stone Walls Heritage Study has recorded 625 discrete sections of dry stone
wall, comprising over 300 kilometres of total length within the City of Wyndham. These form part
of more than 1600 walls totaling over 1200 kilometres that have been mapped in the wider Keilor
Werribee Plains Region, for comparative assessment. Overall, there is more than 600,000 cubic
metres of stone incorporated into Wyndham's dry stone walls, enough to fill the MCG up to the
roof.
Although mapping has not been completed for other Melbourne Municipalities, reference to the
Melton Dry Stone Walls Heritage Study, the Melbourne Western Region study, and the partial
mapping of walls in other municipalities around Melbourne, indicates that Wyndham has a
relatively large number of dry stone walls and overall length of walls in comparison with other
regions north and west of Melbourne.
It is estimated that more than 2000 km of dry stone walls have existed in the combined
municipalities of Whittlesea, Hume, Brimbank, Melton, Moorabool and Wyndham. At least 30
percent of these walls have been demolished. 235
10.1.1 Definit ion (w hat is a dr y st one w all?)

For the purpose of the present study, a dry stone wall is defined as any structure built of naturally
occurring local stone, built in a manner which does not employ mortar, cement or other binding
agent, and which was intended as a property boundary fence, internal fence, stock enclosure or
dividing structure. Dry stone walls intended as part of a building have not been considered.
The structural integrity of the wall arises from compressional forces and the interlocking of the
stones. As the clause 52.37 in the planning scheme applies only to walls built before 1940, this is
also a consideration, although the study has investigated walls erected, relocated or
reconstructed after that date.
Dry stone walls are purposefully built and incorporate design elements including excavated
foundations, size-selected stones, double wall construction (in most cases) battered sides,
coursed layers (in some cases) coping stones (in most cases) small stone hearting or fill,
throughstones and other elaborations.
Lines of stones placed at the base of fences, amorphous piles of stone even where they are in a
line, or the remains of stone removed from a wall and piled nearby, are not considered to be dry
stone walls. In some cases, however, walls that have either been poorly or inexpertly repaired
and walls that have had mortar added to an existing dry stone construction are still within the
scope of the study.
Walls not constructed in traditional methods, or rebuilt after 1940, may not be considered to
come under the definition of a dry stone wall for the purposes of protection under Clause 52.37.
However, later built walls, whether traditional construction or otherwise, may still be protected
235 These numbers are partly based on an assessment of stone walls shown in on early army ordnance survey
maps, which have the limitation that many walls along made roads are not clearly identified, so the number of walls
(and probably the proportion of walls lost to road widening and other development and farm changes) is
substantially more than these figures suggest.
under a Heritage Overlay, where they reach significance criteria and thresholds and appropriate
amendment is proceeded with.
10.1.2 Wall t ypes

There are five primary types of walls identifiable in the wider Keilor Werribee Plains Regions.
These are considered to reflect intended design and functional types, where a combination of
construction costs, local conditions, available materials and the skills of the builder are reflected
in the final result. The basic wall types are illustrated in the following table.
Table 8: Types of dry stone wall
Type Descr ipt ion Illust r at ion
1 All stone full height double

wall main body has two
skins of stone with fill
2 All stone full height single wall

(Galloway Dyke) main body
has single thickness of stones
3 Composite wall post and

wire 1-3 courses of stone
with post and 1-3 strands of
wire above
Type Descr ipt ion Illust r at ion
4 Composite wall post and

rail -1-3 courses of stone with
timber posts and originally 1-
2 rails above
5 Composite wall and hedge

half or full height wall with
supplementary hedge
planting on one side
sometimes low wall with
interplanted hedge
10.2 Significance ranking
Dry stone walls have been assessed against the significance ranking described in this report, with
the results shown in the following table. It can be seen that a small proportion of walls (less than
20%) are considered to be of the A and B significance levels. These are the walls that best
illustrate the historical and technical significance attributed to dry stone walls as an important
theme in Wyndham's Heritage.
C and D significance levels are the typical walls of the region. While these do not stand out as
exceptional, it should be remembered that they comprise the bulk of nineteenth century fabric
and in most cases the earliest European made structures in the district.
Table 9: Length of walls in the City of Wyndham
Classificat ion Rank ing Num ber of w all Lengt h Percent

segm ent s (m et res of t ot al
A - Full height w alls & w alls w it h special hist orical 24 4227 1.40
associat ions; at least 40% int egrit y
B - Full height w alls less t han 40% but m ore t han 20% 138 59225 19.61
int act ; & height com posit e w alls at least 40%
int egr it y
C Half height com posit e w alls less t han 40% but m or e 184 70373 23.30
t he 20% int act
D - Full and half height w alls less t han 20% int act 71 33161 10.98
E Wall r em nant s and single course w alls. 70 46344 15.34
past r em oved 84 59330 19.64
recent r em oved 54 29375 9.73
Tot al 625 302038 100
10.3 St at em ent of Significance f or dry st one w alls in Wyndham
This statement of significance applies to all dry stone walls within the City of Wyndham, and
recognises that the walls generally are an important element in the cultural landscape of the
municipality. While separate statements of significance are provided for groups of walls
proposed for inclusion in the Heritage Overlay, the balance of the walls in the municipality are
also considered to be significant. These are proposed for protection under section 52.37 of the
Wyndham Planning Scheme.
Dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham are considered to be significant for their historical,
aesthetic (including landscape), social and scientific values.
10.3.1 Hist or ical significance

Dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham are of hist or ical significance for their association with
and physical demonstration of the process of survey, subdivision, alienation and development of
land from the period of first land sales, to the late nineteenth century. The open grasslands in
Wyndham, like much of the basalt plains north and west of Melbourne, were among the first
tracts of land occupied by white settlers from 1835, and by 1840, all of this land had been taken
up under pastoral licenses. Some wall alignments, such as the remains of the long Bulban walls,
may relate to the creation of vast grazing paddocks which separated runs or confined sheep to
specific grazing areas, before survey had established any future property boundaries. The
smaller enclosures such as at Mouyong reflect the management of sheep during shearing, when
large numbers had to be penned in one place.
With the surveying and release of crown land for sale, dry stone walls marked out the boundaries
between the first purchasers, who in most, but not all cases, were the first occupants of the
respective districts. The statutory requirements under the Fences Act ensured that fences or
walls were constructed around all private land, while requirements under the various selection
acts required farmers to undertake improvements to their selections within a set timeframe.
Therefore, dry stone walls were often among the first things constructed on newly settled land,
and given their longevity, they are now nearly always the oldest European structures wherever
they are found.
Dry stone walls also reflect specific phases of settlement and historical development. For
example the improvement to the Truganina and Tarneit lands, was a response to a small number
of farmers applying scientific management through careful arrangement of paddocks for
cropping, grazing and holding livestock, and controlling access for livestock to the scarce water
resources by fencing the creek and waterholes.
Some specific historical associations can be made for groups of walls in the municipality as
follows:
The Doher t y Tr uganina far m dr y st one w alls are characteristic of the half walls primarily
intended to contain sheep, and which were extensively constructed in the Truganina area and
elsewhere in the Wyndham District in the 1850s to 1880s. An important element is the wall along
Skeleton creek, which orders the Robertson Truganina Estate, and is constructed to share water
resources along the creek by alternating between each side of the creek and waterholes. In some
cases the wall diverges from the property boundary to allow water access to the adjoining
paddock.
The pattern of walls demonstrates the close attention paid to land and water management and
the marginal productivity of the area, with discretely walled cultivation paddocks of the better
soils near the creek, holding pens near the house for lambing and other husbandry, and fencing
designed to limit and manage livestock access to precious water.
The Tr uganina set t lem ent dr y st one w alls are historically significant as remnants of this early
community, reflecting the pattern of settlement and the division of land uses between farming
and community activities. Although much of the fabric of the original pattern of walls in the
township area has been lost in recent decades, including walls around the recreation reserve, at
the Dohertys Road and Woods Road intersection, around the Cemetery, and most recently where
the Regional rail Link crosses both Dohertys Road east of the settlement and Woods Road south
of the settlement, the remaining fragments of dry stone wall gain greater significance due to their
local rarity. Historical evidence of other former walls related to both the school (separating the
boys' and girls' playing areas) and around the church demonstrate the social significance which
these walls played in the past.
The Doher t y Dr y Cr eek Tar neit far m dr y st one walls are significant for their reflection of the
gradual assemblage of a large farm from smaller parcels of land through speculative land sales.
The walls around the Doherty homestead are fragmentary due to later clearances and
realignment of both road boundaries at the Doherty/Derrimut road intersection, and internal
paddock fences. However, they contribute to part of a distinctive landscape along Doherty's Road
through 'the dips' with the Missen house a short distance away. Remnant boxthorn hedging near
the house demonstrates more of the range of fencing styles, while the association with the
surviving bluestone homestead ruin adds significance to the walls. The modern feature dry stone
wall is opposite (wall 1023). This was erected by the community in 2001 under the Wyndham
Road Safety Improvement Group (WRIG) on a concrete foundation and designed by Alistair Tune.
The May Far m dr y st one w alls are characteristic of the half walls primarily intended to contain
sheep, and which were extensively constructed in the Truganina area and elsewhere in the
Wyndham District in the 1850s to 1880s. The walls are significant for their association with May
Farm and the Cropleys, one of the most prominent Shire farming families.
Clar k e's Dam is an individually and unique dry stone wall structure which is of significance to the
City of Wyndham in demonstrating the response of land-owners to the difficulties of expanding
rural production in the western plains, where climatic conditions and scarcity of water are major
constraints. The dam has technical interest due to the use of available local materials and the use
of dry stone walling techniques to improve the structural soundness of the earth embankment
Associated farm walls are of significance by association. The dam is also of significance for its
rarity as a unique form of construction in the Wyndham area and its probable association with
pastoralist W JT Clarke one of the richest men of his time in Australia. 236
The dam wall is included in the Wyndham Heritage Overlay (HO35) and identified as being of
Local significance.
The Evans/ Wood far m dr y st one w alls are significant for their association with a prominent and
long standing local farming family, and for a reliable construction date of 1858. The Woods Road
and Doherty Road Walls contribute to the character of the local landscape in both providing
extensive visual backdrop to the rural views, while the south wall (40) is significant as a rare
example of a combined wall and hedge despite being only a remnant.
The ha-ha w all at Wer r ibee Par k is of historical and aesthetic significance one of only a handful
of known ha-ha walls in Victoria. It is within the Victorian Heritage Register area, and as a
contributory element of the landscape, the wall is of state significance. It represents the British
236 heritage ALLIAN CE, Job 2012-06 Wyndham N orth Heritage Strategy Appendix B
colonial aspect of the area's settlement where formal landscaping was adapted to transform the
environment to a more managed and familiar aspect. The form of the ha-ha wall, intended to
provide uninterrupted views across the Chirnsides' domain (but strangely interrupted by the
wrought iron fence on top), shows how the vast open plains were tamed. The ha-ha wall is
included within the Wyndham Heritage Overlay (HO64). The citation for the place and schedule to
the Heritage Overlay should be amended to specify the ha-ha wall as a contributory element.
The Black For est Road dr y st one w alls are relatively tall and unusual in this area, where there
was either an absence of field stone, or the later tenant farming leaseholds created by Percy
Chirnside discouraged construction of stone walls. In either case, the walls near the Scott/Hanley
farm are rare in the immediate area and distinctive as representative of the development of
tenant farms on the Chirnside estate where responsibility for improvements was either shifted to
tenants or shared.
The few sections of dry stone wall related to St aught on's Eynesbur y estate are significant as
part of the large landowners improvements and indicative of the character of early pastoralists
efforts to enclose and mark their properties. The entrance driveway wall on Spring Hill Road
reflects the status and landscape context of Eynesbury, and is significant as one of the very few
feature entrance dry stone walls in the municipality. The approach road on the western bank of
the river at Staughton's Bridge is included on the Heritage Overlay and Heritage Register (but not
the eastern approach).
The Ball house off Little River Road, Little river is an unusually intact early farming property with
a complex of dry stone walls, and while in a ruinous state, represents a rare example of small
farms created from the former Little River Farmers Common lands which had been reserved
from sale for 30-40 years after surrounding land had been alienated from the Crown. The
property has a distinctive local concentration of dry stone walls constructed in the late nineteenth
century, and possibly among the last new walls built in the district. The dry stone wall pens
suggest a small mixed and even subsistence farm organisation. The building ruins and dry stone
walls are currently included in the Wyndham Heritage Overlay (HO67).
Where existing heritage overlay areas include dry stone walls, and it is not proposed to amend
the extent of the current overlay, it is proposed to add wording to the citation to identify the dry
stone walls as part of the significance of these places. These are presented in Table 13.
10.3.2 Aest het ic significance

Dry stone walls in Wyndham are of aesthetic significance as an intrinsic part of the landscape of
the basalt plains. The walls reflect the underlying geology and highlight the subtle landforms and
topography, in what is mostly a very flat and featureless landscape. The scale of the plains is
sometimes best appreciated when there are stone walls in both foreground and distant views to
provide reference points.
The patina, texture, colour and forms of dry stone walls create an important rustic, vernacular
aesthetic, which helps define the character of the region and can contribute to the design and
form of future development and building. The preponderance of bluestone farm and civic
buildings in the district is complemented by dry stone walls of the same stone.
10.3.3 Scient ific Significance

Dry stone walls in the Wyndham area are of scientific (technical) significance as evidence of the
wallers' art and technique, which can be traced to British, Irish and European origins, and
specifically adapted to local conditions, land uses and stone types. The rounded boulder-like
stone of the Wyndham area contrasts with the blocky stone from central Victoria, or the angular
vesicular basalt of the Victorian Western District, and required distinct techniques and designs to
form walls that would stand. Sometimes walls have the appearance of stacks of bowling balls,
which remain upright only through the instinctive vernacular skills of the wall builders.
Technical elaboration such as deep foundation trenching to avoid clay expansion causing
collapse, size selection and stone arrangement to use the sometimes widely varying sizes and
types of stone, employment of throughstones, plugging, and sometimes very heavy coping
stones, can all be related to specialised design intent which has been adapted to the local stone.
10.3.4 Social Significance

Wyndham's dry stone walls are important to the farming communities who remain in the district
as they often have direct connections to the people who built them, cleared the lands and
established the local communities. While there has not been the extent of repair and
maintenance as in the past, local community members still treasure the walls as an important
part of the social landscape, defining boundaries between properties, and as landmarks for
place-making.
The walls have come to be appreciated by the wider community in recent decades resulting in
local recording and restoration activities, such as the Wyndham Road Safety Improvement
Groups reconstruction of the feature wall to the entrance for the Mt Cottrell and Cobbledick's
Ford area.
Dry stone walls identified in the accompanying mapping and spreadsheet (Appendix 6 and 7) and
assessed at significance levels A to D inclusive, other than those described in the following
section (and proposed for separate Heritage Overlay controls) should be provided protection
under Clause 52.37 of the Wyndham Planning scheme, requiring a permit for works, alteration of
demolition.
10.3.5 Specific dr y st one w all localit ies

A number of localities in the City of Wyndham have distinctive groups of dry stone walls, as well
as other cultural and natural attributes which may define cultural landscapes or larger heritage
precincts. Walls identified as having strong historical and landscape associations with other
historical places, and in particular with existing Heritage Overlay places, have been considered for
inclusion within extended or new Heritage Overlays. Some other local groups of walls, while
having strong historical and cultural associations, are either fragmentary, or have very low
integrity, and therefore have not been proposed for extended or new Heritage Overlays.
The following table describes how each of the groups of walls discussed in Section 9 has been
assessed in terms of a potential Heritage Overlay. The proposed new and extended Heritage
Overlays are presented in Appendix 8.
Table 10: Groups of walls with historical associations and cultural landscape values.
Hist or ic dr y st one w all Pr oposed HO Com m ent s

ar ea
Tr uganina set t lem ent Not proposed Fragmentary nature of surviving walls do not justify
HO.
Doher t y's Tr uganina Not proposed Fragmentary nature of surviving walls do not justify
Far m HO, some walls proposed to be included in adjacent
Truganina Estate and Skeleton Waterholes Hos.
May Far m Tr uganina Not proposed Few walls left from this property due to modern
ar ea
development.
Rober t son's Tr uganina HO28 Comprises walls around existing HO28 extending
Est at e Robertson's down to and along Skeleton Creek south to
Truganina Dohertys Road a separate new HO is proposed for
Estate walls around Wesleyan Chapel site to north.
Wine Cellar and HO30 Vineyard Proposed to expand two existing Heritage Overlays
Sk elet on Cr eek w at er Estate to encompass walls along Skeleton Creek north of
r eser ve Tr uganina HO119 Leakes road. The expanded HO30 and HO119 share
Skeleton a common border along the creek.
Waterholes
Reserve
Evans / Wood far m Not proposed Few walls left from this property due to modern
Tr uganina development.
Wesleyan Chapel Wesleyan Proposed new overlay for small triangular allotment
Tar neit / Tr uganina Chapel site and surrounding stone walls.
The Pepper cor ns and HO9 Adjacent properties sharing boundary dry stone wall
Volant far m Tar neit Peppercorns proposed for two separate Heritage Overlays
HO10 Volant based on surviving walls associated with the existing
house (Arva) stone houses and ruins.
Doher t y Far m Dr y Cr eek HO36 Doherty's Proposed extension of existing HO36 to include
Tar neit far m Dry Creek associated dry stone walls around house and along
Tarneit farm Dohertys Road and Derrimut road. This area forms
part of "The Dips' cultural landscape with the Missen
Farm
Missen Far m Tar neit HO38 Missen's Proposed extension of existing HO38 to include
farm associated dry stone walls around house and along
Dry Creek, Doherty's Road and Tarneit Road. This
area forms part of "The Dips' cultural landscape with
Doherty's Dry Creek farm.
Clar k es Dam , sout h of HO35 Clarkes Already included within HO35 no changes needed
Doher t y's Road Mt Dam
Cot t er ell
Wer r ibee Par k Ha-ha HO64 Werribee Already included within HO64 amend schedule to
Park specify Ha-ha wall as included
Ballan Road w alls Ballan Road Proposed new Heritage Overlay along Ballan Road
Wyndham Vale walls Wyndham Wyndham Vale
Vale
Scot t / Hanley far m w alls Not proposed Fragmentary nature of surviving walls do not justify
Black For est Road HO
Wer r ibee
Lit t le River Unit ed Little River Proposed new HO along Edgars Road Little River
ar ea
Far m er s Com m on Farmers and adjoining roads and walls

Common stone
walls
Ball house and w alls HO67 Ball Walls already included in HO67 and described in
Lit t le River house heritage citation and schedule
Old Melbour ne Road Old Melbourne Proposed new HO along Old Melbourne and
Lit t le River Road Walls adjoining farm walls
Little River
Mouyong Lit t le River HO53 Mouyong Proposed extension to HO53 to incorporate dry
stone walls to south of woolshed paddock
St aught on's Eynesbur y Not proposed Only fragments of walls in City of Wyndham others
Est at e in adjoining Melton City included within existing HO.
Cobbledick s For d and HO18 Proposed extension of HO18 to include walls along
Duk elow s Road Cobbledicks Dukelows road and Cobbledicks Ford Road, north.
Ford and (other walls associated with HO41 Bambra Park and
Reserve HO42 Cobbledicks House Ruin, are already within
these HOs)
Where a heritage overlay has not been proposed (either new or amended) then stone walls
assessed at significance levels A-D are proposed to be included under clause 52.37. see section
11.2.1.
11 Dry stone wall planning and management
guidelines237
Guidelines for the management of dry stone walls, both through the statutory planning process,
and as a conservation objective have been developed to assist in the preservation, conservation
and management of dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham. The following guidelines have been
based on and adapted from policy documents prepared by the City of Melton. These have been
used as a basis for the present guidelines to provide consistency and continuity between
municipalities. It is envisaged that other councils in the future will also develop similar guidelines
adapted and modified to suit their individual needs and situation.
These guidelines should take the form of a reference document or preferable an incorporated
document within the Wyndham Planning Scheme and supplement local policy within the Local
Planning Policy Framework.
Guidelines should be published on-line and in printed form for owners of properties with dry
stone walls, developers and consultants working in Wyndham.
The first stage in conservation of dry stone walls has been completed in this study to identify,
record and assess the significance of surviving dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham.
The primary objectives of management of dry stone walls should be to r et ain and conser ve
w alls in t heir or iginal set t ing. This may be either an open rural setting for most boundary or
internal paddock walls, or a stronger built form setting such as stock yards and homestead yard
walls. In the latter case they should be maintained and conserved in conjunction with related
buildings, or compatible new built forms. Such compatible forms would be new structures in
keeping with the historic elements, such as use of traditional materials (stone, brick, timber,
corrugated iron), and in a sympathetic scale and form (generally single storey, pitched roofs, with
elevations less than 20m).
11.1 Conservat ion principles
Conservation practice in Australia is guided by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter . This
document sets standard of practice for assessment, planning and management of places of
cultural significance.
The Burra Charter advocates a cautious approach to change: do as much as necessary to care for
the structure to make it sound, but otherwise change it as little as possible so that its cultural
significance is retained.
Wyndham's dry stone walls are vulnerable to loss of cultural significance through natural
deterioration, accidental damage and vandalism. Livestock rubbing against or climbing over,
rabbits burrowing under, trees and other vegetation growing through them or falling on them,
natural expansion and shrinkage of reactive clay soils, improper repairs, theft of stone and farm
machinery or road traffic accidents, can all result in walls being damaged or destroyed.
237 These guidelines are based on and adapted from the City of Melton draft Dry Stone Wall Policies and Guidelines
(2009).
However, despite this natural deterioration many of Wyndham's dry stone walls still retain their
heritage values. In general these values can be considered to remain where the wall:
1. is still on its original alignment

2. is composed of local field stone
3. serves to define original boundaries, paddocks, or gardens
4. is technically well built and /or has aesthetic value
5. is substantially intact with its foundations in place.
In considering what constitutes a dry stone wall, a distinction is made where the intention is clear
that a purposely constructed stone wall was built, as opposed to some structures where only a
single row of stones was placed along the base of a fence, or the wall was never more than a few
centimetres high and always obscured by vegetation so for practical purposes invisible. Such stone
features were often created from gradual accumulation of stones that had been gleaned from
paddocks and placed at the foot of an existing wire fence, without any structural design or
integrity, and so should not be considered dry stone walls. These correspond to some walls in the
'E' category used in the mapping and assessment in this study.
Wyndham's dry stone walls are an important part of the vernacular heritage of the Western
Region of Melbourne. Vernacular heritage is a term used to categorize methods of construction
utilising local resources and reflecting the environmental, cultural and historical context in which
it exists. Vernacular includes dry stone walls, as well as mortared stone buildings, timber slab
constructions, and various other forms which demonstrate cultural values and their traditional
character, often in groups of building as part of the cultural landscape (ICOMOS Charter on the
Built Vernacular Heritage 1999).
11.1.1 Planning consider at ions

In addition to the natural and unintended impacts to dry stone walls, other new buildings and
works, whether road widening, utility services, or changed land uses such as construction of
residential and industrial developments, may require the removal of dry stone walls to provide
for the new facilities. There is currently a gradual encroachment of urban development on
former rural landscapes. In many cases, retaining a wall in its original state and location is
incompatible with the new use for example a wall located close to road traffic may present a
safety hazard. Options such as relocation, wire rope barriers and other protection measures may
mitigate these risks.
Management of these impacts is necessary to ensure that the cultural significance of dry stone
walls in Wyndham is maintained into the future. The purpose of this document is to promote
better conservation and management outcomes in relation to dry stone walls in the City of
Wyndham. It aims to supplement State and Local planning policy (specifically Clause 22.12
Heritage Conservation Policy), and to guide those who are implementing Growth Area
Framework Plans and Precinct Structure Plans, as well as planning permit applications.
A Heritage Overlay is the usual planning scheme control applied to items and places of Cultural
Heritage Significance. The Heritage Overlay provisions are found at Clause 43.01 of all Victorian
planning schemes. The Wyndham Planning Scheme is accessible on the State government
Planning Website: http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/wyndham
In addition to the Heritage Overlay, provision in the planning scheme is made to the schedule to
the Heritage Overlay which contains the list of all places covered and any particular controls
applying to them. The overlay maps for the relevant planning scheme delineate the area or sites
to which the Heritage Overlay applies.
Clause 43.01 also includes a set of Decision Guidelines that need to be considered in the
assessment of heritage matter where a planning permit is triggered by the Heritage Overlay.
Some of Wyndham's dry stone walls are included within places that are listed on the schedule to
the Heritage Overlay.
Wyndham city Council has prepared Landscape Context Guidelines238 in relation to important
natural and man-made landscapes in the municipality. Dry stone walls are identified as important
landscape elements in reference to the volcanoes that were the source of the fieldstone, and
particular aesthetic and historic qualities. However, there are no statutory planning controls
relating to dry stone walls in respect for a significant landscape overlay.
Clause 52.37 Post Boxes and Dry Stone Walls, of the Wyndham Planning Scheme provides
specific permit requirements to demolish, remove or alter a dry stone wall constructed before
1940 on land specified in the schedule to Clause 52.37. The schedule specifies this permit
requirement applies to all land within the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
Clause 52.37 Permit requirement
A permit is required to demolish or remove a post box constructed before 1930.

A permit is required to demolish, remove or alter a dry stone wall constructed before 1940 on land
specified in the schedule to this provision. This does not apply to:
Dry stone structures other than walls and fences.
The demolition or removal of a section of a dry stone wall to install a gate.
The reconstruction of damaged or collapsing walls which are undertaken to the same
specifications and using the same materials as the existing walls.
Decision guidelines
Before deciding on an application, in addition to the decision guidelines in Clause 65, the
responsible authority must consider, as appropriate:
The significance of the post box or dry stone wall.
Any applicable heritage study, statement of significance and conservation policy.
Whether the proposal will adversely affect the significance of the post box or dry stone wall.
Whether the proposal will adversely affect the significance, character or appearance of the
area.
The Schedule to Clause 52.37 identifies All land in the municipality for the Permit requirement for
dry stone walls
If Clause 52.37 is to be applied only to walls of A-D level, and not to walls within Heritage Overlays
then the Schedule to Clause 52.37 may need to be suitably amended.
The Council has employed the services of a Heritage Advisor who is available to give expert
advice to planning permit applicants. Pre-application meetings with the Heritage Advisor can
assist in explaining the decision guidelines of the overlays, the Councils own guidelines in relation
to dry stone walls and the writing of planning permit applications.
Regardless of whether a dry stone wall is listed on an overlay or not, all dry stone walls in
Wyndham have some historical significance, and should be approached with due regard to their
cultural value.
238 Wyndham City Council Landscape Context Guidelines 2013
Decisions regarding approval of a permit to remove a dry stone wall will take into account these
guidelines, as well as the recommendations of the Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study. Evaluation of
walls undertaken for this study should be taken into account.
11.2 Local planning pr ovisions
Statutory approval should be sought for any places on the HO or VHI which are likely to be
impacted by future works or where a dry stone wall is referenced in the schedule to Clause 52.37.
11.2.1 Wyndham Planning Schem e Clause 52.37

In March 2007, an Advisory Committee appointed by Victorias Minister for Planning released its
Review of Heritage Provisions in Planning Schemes.
Among the Reviews many recommendations was one that proposed that the Victoria Planning
Provisions (part of all municipal planning schemes in Victoria) be amended so that Clause 52.37
Post Boxes and Dry Stone Walls includes dry stone walls. The overall purpose of the clause is to
conserve historic post boxes and dry stone walls.
Some 22 Victorian municipalities have dry stone walls and 12 have included this control in their
planning schemes. They are Baw Baw, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Indigo, Mount
Alexander, Moyne, Pyrenees, Surf Coast, Warrnambool, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.
Clause 52.37 has been triggered in the planning schemes of a number of surrounding
municipalities or western plains municipalities:
Table 11: Councils in the region which have planning scheme controls for dry stone walls
Municipalit y Yes / No
Geelong Yes: All land in Lara, Lara Lake, Point Wilson, Sutherlands
Creek
Golden Plains Yes: All
Melt on No (under preparation or waiting with minister)
Moor abool No
Sur f Coast Yes: All land north west of the Barwon River
Colac Ot w ay No
Br im bank No
Hobsons Bay No
Cor angam it e No
Pyr enees Yes: All
Moyne Yes: All
War r nam bool Yes: All
Glenelg Yes: All
Whit t lesea Yes: All
Hum e No
Municipalit y Yes / No
Macedon Ranges Yes: All
Wyndham Yes: All
In those municipalities, a permit is required to demolish, remove or alter a dry stone wall
constructed before 1940. In assessing an application, the Council has to consider such factors as
the significance of the dry stone wall, any applicable heritage study or statement of significance
and conservation policy, whether the proposal will adversely affect the significance of the dry
stone wall, and whether the proposal will adversely affect the significance, character or
appearance of the area.239
The Wyndham Planning Scheme was amended (VC50) on 15/12/2008, which introduced new dry
stone wall provisions in Clause 52.37 together with decision guidelines for post boxes and dry
stone walls and inserted the schedule to Clause 52.37 in all planning schemes and specified a
permit requirement for dry stone walls in 12 planning schemes.
A permit is required for the removal of any dry stone wall. Where a permit is issued, it is
recommended that archival recording and documentation is carried out and authentic
reconstruction of walls elsewhere is carried out, reusing the dismantled stone. It is also
recommended that the dry stone wall should not be further altered, demolished or relocated
without the written consent of the Responsible Authority. This should form a condition on any
planning permit issued. Preference should be given to retaining walls according the scaled
assessment in the Wyndham Dry Stone Walls Study
11.2.2 Her it age Over lay

The purpose of the Heritage Overlay is:
To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy
Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies.
To conserve and enhance heritage places of natural or cultural significance.
To conserve and enhance those elements which contribute to the significance of heritage
places.
To ensure that development does not adversely affect the significance of heritage places.
To conserve specifically identified heritage places by allowing a use that would otherwise
be prohibited if this will demonstrably assist with the conservation of the significance of
the heritage place.
Under the Heritage Overlay a planning permit is required for any demolition, subdivision,
alteration, buildings and works, signage and the removal of a tree included in the schedule to the
Heritage Overlay within the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
A level of protection is provided to a place or places that are included within a Heritage Overlay
given a planning permit is required to remove, demolish, subdivide or alter a heritage place.
Due to the mapping requirements of the Heritage Overlay, Council needs to be careful about
how a place or places are mapped. In the case of a dry stone wall, the mapping could range from
239 DSWAA 2012.
only the wall's alignment and the width of the wall to the entire property the wall(s) are located
on.
If only the wall alignment including the walls width is mapped, protection of the wall is provided
in that location. However if the wall was required to be relocated, an example could be as a road
safety measure, and approval was obtained it is likely that the new location of the wall would be
outside the Heritage Overlay mapping, meaning the Heritage Overlay would no longer apply to
the wall and the protection afforded to the wall would cease to exist. Further Council would be
left with a redundant planning control.
A way to solve this is to increase the area that is mapped. The mapping could include the
property the wall(s) are located on. This ensures that walls that have approval to be relocated will
still be covered by the Heritage Overlay. The down side to this is that the Heritage Overlay will
introduce a large number of planning permit triggers into the Wyndham Planning Scheme that
have not been previously present. This is likely to increase the number of planning permit
applications submitted to Council where the only places of significance are the dry stone walls. It
is considered that the Heritage Overlay would be only be a useful planning control to protect dry
stone walls where sites contained heritage values other than dry stone walls. Particularly in the
case of Wyndham, where a planning permit is already required to demolish, remove or alter a dry
stone wall under Clause 52.37 of the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
11.2.3 Significant Landscape Over lay

The purpose of the Significant Landscape Overlay is:
To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy
Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies.
To identify significant landscapes.
To conserve and enhance the character of significant landscapes.
Under the Significant Landscape Overlay a planning permit is required to:
- Construct a building or construct or carry out works
- Construct a fence (if specified in a schedule to the overlay)
- Remove, destroy or lop any vegetation specified in a schedule to the overlay.
The Significant Landscape Overlay does not require a planning permit to remove or demolish a
building including a fence including a dry stone wall. This is consistent with Clause 62.05 of the
Victoria Planning Provisions which states a permit is not required for the demolition or removal of a
building or works unless a permit is specifically required for demolition or removal.
The Significant Landscape Overlay can be used to conserve and enhance landscapes bound by a
dry stone wall or landscapes that contain dry stone walls, however it cannot directly protect a dry
stone wall.
The Significant Landscape Overlay should be used in conjunction with Clause 52.37 Post Boxes
and Dry Stone Walls. This would ensure that potential impacts from proposed developments to
significant landscapes and dry stone walls are considered. It should be noted that where a dry
stone wall is being relocated a permit will be required for demolition under Clause 52.37 and a
permit will be required to reconstruct the fence under the Significant Landscape Overlay.
To ensure that dry stone walls are appropriately considered by permit applicants and responsible
authorities Council should create a local planning policy for dry stone walls or significant
landscapes containing dry stone walls or alternatively Clause 22.12 of the Wyndham Planning
Scheme could be amended. This Study and previous landscape studies undertaken should be
referenced in any local planning policy included within the Wyndham Planning Scheme. The form
and content of the local policy will be determined by the final structure of the State Planning
Policy framework which is currently being review by the Minister for Planning.
A summary of potential planning tools and how they might be related to dry stone walls, along
with the benefits and issues, is shown in the following table.
Table 12: Dry Stone Walls Planning Controls
Planning Schem e Dem olit ion perm it Buildings and w ork s perm it Planning Schem e Mapping Planning Schem e Int roduces addit ional perm it Use w it h local
Cont rol t rigger t rigger required i.e. overlay m aps Am endm ent requir ed t o t riggers i.e. not specific t o dr y policy exist ing
et c. am end m apping i.e. should st one w alls or proposed
w all alignm ent change (LPPF)
Clause 42.01 - No Yes Yes Control only applies to Yes Yes Buildings and works including Yes
Significant areas that are mapped as SLO the construction of a fence and
Landscape Overlay removal of vegetation, permit
(SLO) exemptions can be provided in a
schedule to the SLO
Clause 43.01 Yes Yes Yes Either on a wall by wall, Yes Any realignment or Yes Buildings and works (unless Yes
Herit age Overlay site by site or by precinct basis relocation of a wall outside of specifically exempt) and vegetation
(HO) Control only applies to areas mapped area results in HO no removal if specified in the schedule
that are mapped as HO longer applying. HO would
become redundant without a
Scheme amendment.
Clause 52.37 - Post Yes Applies to dry Yes A permit is required to No However a description of No The permit triggers in No Yes
Boxes and Dr y stone wall alter a dry stone wall the "Land" the control applies Clause 52.37 applies to all land
St one Walls constructed prior to constructed prior to 1940 to is required. Currently this within the City of Wyndham
1940 control covers ALL land within
the Wyndham Planning Scheme
Int roduct ion of an Yes Yes Yes (within incorporated Yes No Incorporated document can be Yes
Incorporat ed document) tailored to dry stone walls
Docum ent
Int roduct ion of a No Would provide No - Would provide guidance No Mapping would be No unless the name of the No Yes
Reference guidance on were on how development should included in the document and document is changing
Docum ent walls can be occur in proximity of walls could be used in a local policy
demolished and how walls should be but this is not mandatory
constructed/ reconstructed
11.2.4 Vict or ian Her it age Invent or y
A Consent to Disturb will be required for any works impacting on places listed on the Victorian
Heritage Register.
Heritage Victoria manages the Heritage Inventory, which is a listing of places of archaeological
value. Previously dry stone walls were added to the Heritage Inventory in the course of
archaeological survey and recording projects. However, Heritage Victoria in reviewing the
definitions of archaeological places, and the content of the inventory, determined that in most
cases, dry stone walls did not meet the definition of archaeological place, and so they were
removed from the inventory, by identifying them as a "D" listed place. The archaeological
protection provisions of the Heritage Act 1995 do not apply to D listed places.
Some dry stone walls are still included on the inventory where they are part of larger
archaeological complexes, for example the stone walls around a homestead site. The Kerr Farm
site (H7822-2275) is such an example, where ruined walls of both paddock fences, and farm
structures are included.
Generally a listing on the Heritage Inventory is not a mechanism to conserve and protect a site,
but to trigger a consent process which may require further archaeological investigation. In most
cases, where a Heritage Inventory site comes up for development, a consent is issued and the
site is removed following appropriate salvage, monitoring, recording and / or mitigation.
11.2.5 Vict or ian Her it age Regist er

In some cases places of state significance may include dry stone walls as part of their registration
on the Victorian Heritage Register.
At present, Werribee Park is listed on the Heritage Register, and includes the ha-ha wall in its
registration.
11.2.6 Com m onw ealt h EPBC

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), includes
provision for listing of places of National heritage significance, Commonwealth heritage, and
World Heritage.
A number of places in the City of Wyndham are included on the Com m onw ealt h Her it age List ,
including the Hardman Parade Precinct Laverton, RAAF Williams Laverton - Eastern Hangars and
West Workshops Precincts Tangmere Rd, RAAF Williams Laverton Base Wrigley Parade Laverton,
and Point Cook Air Base Aviation Rd Point Cook.
There do not appear to be any surviving dry stone walls associated with these places, but in any
case, commonwealth properties are not subject to state or local statutory planning controls and
so the provisions available to Wyndham would not be applicable.
However, the Commonwealth heritage listing requires Australian government departments to

abide by the EPBC Act in terms of managing cultural heritage values of listed places.
Point Cook Air Base is also listed on the Nat ional Her it age List , for its historical values as
Australia's first air training base.
There are no Wor ld Her it age List ed places in the City of Wyndham.
12 Management Recommendations
12.1 Conservat ion of dry st one w alls
It is recommended that all dry stone walls are retained and conserved; and that the design of
future developments including those at the Precinct Structure Plan stage should take into
account the walls, and wherever possible provide compatible land uses such as unstructured
open space, conservation reserves, wide adjoining road verges, or allow retention of walls on
frontage property boundaries by providing alternative rear access.
Where walls cannot be retained or planning and design requirements require the removal of
walls, decisions should be made on the basis of the assessment of significance of walls using the
assessment in the present study as a guiding principle. Wherever possible, walls should be left in
situ, with repairs undertaken by stacking fallen stone back onto walls. More elaborate repairs
which involve pulling down and reconstructing a wall or section of wall, should only be
undertaken where appropriate resources and skills are available.
Council may be responsible for part of the cost of maintenance of walls where they are on public
land, and the council is considered an occupier. On boundaries with reserves or roads council
would not have responsibility for fencing. However, it is recommended that council develop a
policy on assisting property owners to manage and maintain dry stone walls, where they adjoin
council managed lands.
The process for preparing Precinct Structure Plans is currently underway in parts of the City of
Wyndham, including areas were numerous dry stone walls are present. While there is potential
for managing dry stone walls in the PSP process though provision of compatible land use,
reserves and location of infrastructure, the PSP outcome does still not preclude preservation of
particular sections of dry stone walls, as there will be options for partial retention, relocation and
reconstruction of walls or other mitigation measures, during later planning and design stages
including development plans, subdivision plans and functional layout plans as part of the
planning permit process.
While the PSP provides the framework for how a precinct is to be developed over 20-30 years
(which may include the removal of dry stones walls) the PSP or the Urban Growth Zone still
requires planning permits for use, development and subdivision. Further the UGZ doesn't
exempt development in the PSP area from permit triggers in other sections of the planning
scheme. A permit will still be required to remove, demolish or alter a dry stone wall under Clause
52.37. Some approved PSPs require dry stone walls that are impacted at the subdivision stage to
be reconstructed at the developers cost. 240
Recommendations set out in the present study are generally consistent with those of the
Wyndham North Heritage Strategy, 241 specifically in reference to:
mapping walls of historic significance,

inclusion of stone walls in clause 52.37,
240 East Werribee Employment Precinct, Precinct Structure Plan, Growth Areas Authority Sept. 2013, p.53.
241 David Wixted, 2013, Wyndham N orth Heritage Strategy, heritage ALLIAN CE, pp.11-13.
retaining dry stone walls in the Heritage Overlay and amending Heritage Overlays to
include associated dry stone walls, and
retaining stone walls in medians or along roadsides or where this is not possible,
encouraging reconstruction of walls along roadsides where widening is necessary.
12.2 St at ut or y cont r ol
Options for possible statutory control mechanisms are discussed in this Section and summarised
in Table 12. The main mechanisms available to the City of Wyndham are the dry stone walls
provisions under Clause 52.37 of the Planning Scheme to apply to either all walls in the
municipality, specified areas containing walls, or individual walls; and application of a heritage
overlay on individual walls. It is recommended that a combination of these two options is applied:
All dry stone walls identified in this study as having significance graded at levels A to D
inclusive, identified in the accompanying mapping and spreadsheet (Appendix 5 and 6).
These require a permit for removal, alteration or demolition, under Clause 52.37 of the
Wyndham Planning Scheme. An amendment to the schedule to Clause 52.37 would be
required identifying these walls as the schedule currently applies to all land within the
City of Wyndham. This should not include walls proposed for separate Heritage Overlay
controls and described in section 10.3.5 of this report.
Existing Heritage Overlay places in which dry stone walls are currently included as part of
the place should continue to be managed to conserve heritage values, including those of
the dry stone walls. These heritage places are:
HO8 Campbell's House and Store Edgars Road
HO9 The Peppercorns Boundary Road
HO10 Volant House (now Arva) Boundary Road
HO11 Evans House (former)
HO13 Devine House (ruins) Edgars Road
HO14 House 780 Bulban Road, Werribee
HO28 Robertson Farm Complex
HO30 Wine Cellars
HO35 Dam off Dohertys Road
HO36 Doherty House Dohertys Road
HO37 Eynesbury (part) Staughton's Bridge
HO38 Missen House (site) Dohertys Road
HO39 Truganina Cemetery
HO41 Bambra Park Dukelows Road
HO42 Cobbledicks House (Ruin)
HO53 Moyong Edgars Road,
HO54 Shaw House 115 Edgars Road, Little River
HO55 Richmond and McNaughton Properties 230 Edgars Road, Little River
HO67 Ball house ruins off Little River Road
HO119 Skeleton Creek Water Reserve and Water Holes
Citations for the following places, for which existing Heritage Overlays are in place,
should be amended to include reference to the dry stone walls in the descriptions and
statements of significance as set out in the following table.
Table 13: Proposed changes to citations for existing Heritage Overlay places to include references to dry stone
walls.
Exist ing HO place Recom m ended change in cit at ion
HO8 Cam pbell's House No dry stone walls appear to remain

and St or e Edgar s Road
HO11 Evans House Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Edgars Road
(for m er ) and the north and south allotment boundaries".
Add to the statement of significance "and dry stone walls"
HO13 Devine House Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Edgars
(r uins) Edgar s Road Road". Add to the statement of significance "and dry stone
walls".
HO14 House 780 Bulban Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Bulban
Road, Wer r ibee Road". Add to the statement of significance "and dry stone
walls".
HO35 Dam off Doher t ys Citation already refers to dry stone wall dam.
Road (Clar ke's Dam )
HO37 Eynesbur y (par t ) Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along either side
St aught on's Br idge of the approach to the bridge from Dohertys Road"
HO39 Tr uganina No stone walls remain within the heritage overlay

Cem et er y
HO41 Bam br a Par k Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Dukelows
Duk elow s Road Road "
HO42 Cobbledick s Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Dukelows
House (Ruin) Road "
HO54 Shaw House 115 Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along Edgars Road
Edgar s Road, Lit t le River and the north and south allotment boundaries "
HO55 Richm ond and Add to the description "Dry stone walls are along the un-
McNaught on Pr oper t ies named road between the properties which is also the access
230 Edgar s Road, Lit t le drive."
River Add to the statement of significance "and dry stone walls"
HO64 (Wer r ibee Par k) Add to the description the Ha Ha around the original
bluestone homestead wall is of dry stone construction"
Add to the statement of significance "The dry stone Ha Ha
wall is of significance as a very rare landscape feature."
HO67 Ball House Add to the description "Extensive dry stone walls are along
the northern and western boundaries of the allotment and
around the house and farm sheds with a parallel wall
extending northeast."
Add to the statement of significance "The dry stone walls are
an important and distinctive feature of the farm."
Heritage Overlay provisions should be considered for walls identified which are in
proximity to, or associated with, existing Heritage Overlay areas, or where additional
Heritage Overlays are appropriate, as identified in Section 10.3.5 of this report. The
existing overlay extent and statement of significance should be amended to include the
associated dry stone walls. Proposed additions to Heritage Overlays are:
HO38 Missen's farm
HO9 Peppercorns
HO10 Volant house
HO53 Mouyong
New Heritage Overlays are proposed for groups of dry stone walls which form important
individual groups, whether as part of major routes, or approaches to towns. These are:
Ballan Road walls
Melbourne Road Walls
Where a Heritage Overlay is employed for protection of dry stone walls, these should not
be included in the schedule to Clause 52.37, this approach removes any duplication in
planning controls which is supported by DTPLI
Dry stone walls designated as E in this report should not be included in the schedule to
Clause 52.37.
A number of places examined in the study including May Farm, Evans/Wood Farm, Black
Forest Road Farm, and other walls from the Little River Farmers Common east of Edgars
Road and south of the railway were not considered to meet thresholds for inclusion in
the Heritage Overlay, but more appropriately protected through the judicious application
of Clause 52.37 of the planning scheme.
Maps of all identified dry stone walls in the City of Wyndham, along with their level of
significance, are included in Appendix 6 of this report.
Heritage Overlay areas applying to walls should include at least 5m buffer to the wall
measures ad 2.5m either side of the centerline of the wall. These buffers have been used
for the proposed overlay maps in Appendix 8 of this report.
12.3 Per m it s and Consent s
Statutory approval must be sought for any places in a Heritage Overlay, on the Victorian Heritage
Register or Victorian Heritage Inventory or included in the schedule to Clause 52.37 that are likely
to be impacted by future buildings and works including demolition.
A Permit from Heritage Victoria is required for any works impacting on places listed on
the Victorian Heritage Register.
A Consent to Disturb is required for any works impacting on places listed on the Victorian
Heritage Inventory.
A Planning permit is required for any construction, alteration or demolition effecting dry
stone walls within places included in the Heritage Overlay within the Wyndham Planning
Scheme.
A planning permit is required to remove, demolish or alter any dry stone wall included in
the schedule of land covered by Clause 52.37 of the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
Where a permit is issued, it is recommended that archival recording and documentation is
carried out and authentic reconstruction of walls elsewhere is carried out, reusing the dismantled
stone.
Preference should be given to retaining walls according the scaled assessment in the Dry Stone
Walls Study and as shown in this report in Appendix 5.
12.4 Fur t her invest igat ions
Some aspects of Wyndham's dry stone walls may still warrant further research and investigation.
Painstaking correlation of land title records, with newspaper accounts and family history has
been beyond the scope of this study, but can provide detailed and sometimes highly specific
information about land use and development. It is therefore recommended that if circumstances
permit, further historical research is compiled in reference to dry stone wall construction and
maintenance, and this is made publically available in a suitable place such as the local and state
libraries.
This could be used to determine the cumulative impact on walls and work out what was and
what is left and therefore what needs to be kept to preserve a reasonable collection of
representative walls within the municipality.
Information from consultation with local residents has provided potential places for further
investigation. Among these are the following
Davis Road ruin, remnant stone wall and garden Section XX Lot C parish of Tarneit. 242
Bluestone ruin in Bambra Park Mt Cottrell adjacent to Cobbledicks Reserve north of
river. 243
Walls in Little River south of railway Flinders St Rothwell Road, McLeans Road for
potential landscape overlay. 244
Wall along McPherson's Road Little River claimed as best example in area. 245
242 Information provided by Frances Overmars

243 Information provided by Frances Overmars
244 Little River Historical Society 14 October 2014
245 Little River Historical Society 14 October 2014
12.5 Educat ion and int er pret at ion
Dry stone walls have suffered from damage by vandalism, neglect and lack of awareness in the
past. Their value has not always been appreciated by property owners and residents. However,
this is partly due to lack of information about their role in Wyndham's history and landscape.
Provision of information to residents and visitors to the City of Wyndham is an important
element in managing the heritage asset.
The exhibition 'Stone upon a Stone' prepared by Raelene Marshall of the Dry Stone Wall
Association, was displayed in Wyndham in July 2002. This or similar travelling exhibitions could be
used to help promote the values of dry stone walls and the study within Wyndham.
The following education and interpretation actions could be undertaken by Council to improve
the status of dry stone walls within the municipality:
Information should be published on the City of Wyndham website, and in printed form
for distribution to residents, on the heritage values of dry stone walls, and protection
measures. These may include guidelines for restoration and maintenance of dry stone
walls.
Copies of this report should be made available either in libraries or digital downloads.
An exhibition of display might be prepared in conjunction with local heritage and land
care groups to promote the study, its recommendations, and the values of dry stone
walls. This could be installed in council offices, libraries and other public venues. Liaison
with the Dry Stone Walls Association would be of advantage as they have previously
prepared exhibitions on this subject.
A new traditional style dry stone wall constructed as an instructional and interpretive
display could be erected in the grounds of the Wyndham Civic Centre in conjunction with
interpretive and information panels.
A register of potential dry stone wall professionals both for providing heritage
conservation and planning advice, and providing technical and practical stone wall
restoration services, should be established, and the information made available to
property owners
12.5.1 Self-Dr ive t our

A self-drive heritage tour of general locations with dry stone walls should be prepared.
This should avoid identification of individual wall locations, unless these can be properly
managed in terms of protecting the wall, ensuring safe traffic and pedestrian
management and respecting private property rights and occupants privacy. 246 Locations
and walls suitable for inclusion in a heritage trail might include the following:
Walls at the Dips near Missen and Doherty Houses. Skeleton Creek walls (when
this area becomes accessible as open space in new development).
Woods Road and Truganina township
Peppercorns and Volant House walls
Clarkes dam (if this area becomes available for public access in future
development)
246 An example of the Melton dry stone wall driving tour brochure can be downloaded at
Edgars Road Little River
Little River Road, Little River
Ballan Road Wyndham Vale
12.6 Repor t Lodgem ent
Copies of this report should be distributed to:
City of Wyndham
Heritage Victoria
Wyndham Library
State Library of Victoria
Department of Transport Planning & Local Infrastructure
13 Planning Permit Guidelines
The planning scheme operates with a series of zones, overlays and particular provisions. Dry
stone walls may be covered by more than one zone, more than one overlay and a particular
provision. For example: one side of a boundary wall may be included in the Road Zone and the
other in the Green Wedge Zone. A wall may have two overlays, one to control demolition and
change and the other to protect the landscape character. The Particular Provision, Clause 52.37,
will also require a planning permit to remove, demolish or alter the wall. Changes to a wall should
always be flagged with Councils planning department prior to them being undertaking.
These guidelines have been written to assist in the preparation of planning permit applications.
They address specific types of permit issues:
Demolition
Subdivision
Engineering works including road works.
Landscape Works
Fencing
Farming activity 247
13.1 Gener al
Applicants should keep in mind that each permit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, as
there may be a number of ways to achieve good conservation outcomes, whilst allowing
adaptation and alteration to occur. The extent of the alteration or adaptation will largely be
determined by the statement of significance for the wall, or group of walls.
Most of the dry stone walls in Wyndham have been identified, mapped and recorded either in
the Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study or the Wyndham Heritage Study. Individual walls, separate
sections of wall and groups of walls, have been numbered for reference, and assessed for their
character, significance and condition. See Sections 9 and 10 of this report as well as the individual
wall evaluations provided in the mapping and database for this study.
Some walls in Wyndham occur in concentrations (particularly close to geological features such as
volcanic vents, lava flows and rocky escarpments. These dry stone wall landscapes have been
separately identified and statements of significance prepared, to identify their distinct values and
why the precinct is significant, and which elements contribute to that significance. Some of these
dry stone wall precincts have additional landscape qualities and so may be appropriate to include
in future Significant Landscape Overlay; this will provide protections to these landscapes rather
than to the dry stone walls within them. At present, however, the Wyndham Planning Scheme
does not have any areas in the Significant Landscape Overlay.
Permit applicants need to be aware that each Overlay has specific objectives and permit triggers
that need to be addressed in any permit application.
A hierarchy of preference will be given to managing walls as follows:
247 These guidelines have been based on the similar guidelines in the Melton Dry Stone Walls Study and policy
documents prepared by Melton City council.
1. Retain and conserve in original setting,
2. Avoid impacts to wall in new developments,
3. Reconstruction of walls on new alignments
4. Demolition.
Permit approval may include conditions that cover the following:
Walls or sections of walls should be reconstructed on original or new locations and
alignments,
Walls or sections of walls that have been reconstructed should not be altered, removed
or demolished without further approval from Council,
Wall ends at openings should be reconstructed as proper vertical tied end walls,
Repair, reinstatement or reconstruction of walls should be carried out by a competent
dry stone waller,
Recording, documentation and photographs of the wall before during and after the
works should be submitted to council,
Stone removed and not reinstated should be used to repair or rebuild walls elsewhere or
stockpiled for this purpose in the future,
Public research and interpretation should be implemented as part of the project,
Photographic or other form of recording before, during and after works.
Where approval for reconstruction at a new location is given there may need to be a
further mechanism, such as a 173 agreement to protect the reconstructed wall.
Figure 86: Proposed buffers for walls HO and works exclusion areas.
13.2 Per m it applicat ion requir em ent s

Permit applications to remove, demolish or alter to dry stone walls need to be accompanied by
the following information (where appropriate):
Feature surveys of all walls. Feature surveys should record the width, length and height
of the walls and record any openings, crossovers, structures, fencing, driveways or
distinguishing features of the walls
An assessment of the current condition of the wall
Representative photographs of the section(s) of subject wall (s)
Strategic justification for the proposed alteration, removal or demolition
Extent of the alteration, removal or demolition required
The percentage of the area of the wall to be demolished in relation to the whole wall/
structure
Process for repair/reconstruction of wall ends or reinstatement of wall sections, including
original fencing material; posts, wires etc.
A plan for the re-use or storage of excess stone
Applicants may be required to submit a Dry Stone Wall Management Plan which
indicates how walls will be repaired / reconstructed after works have occurred. A Dry
Stone Wall Management Plan outlines the significance and condition of walls and
conservation policies for the long term preservation, adaptation and integration of walls
into new urban spaces.
13.3 Per m it exem pt ions
Permit exemptions may be provided for works to walls protected under either heritage
overlays or Clause 52.37. Model permit exemptions may be as follows:
Exem pt ion Applicat ion 52.37 Her it age
Over lay
Replace fallen Where stones have been displaced from the wall, Yes Yes
st ones and their original approximate position can be
determined, it is acceptable for them to be replaced
if this is done in a manner consistent with the
original style of the wall.
Const r uct ion of a Removal of stone to construct a gateway less than 3 Yes No
gat ew ay metres wide, as long as the end walls are
reconstructed according to the guidelines
Clear ance of Clearance of vegetation should be exempt, where Yes Yes

gr ass and the vegetation can be removed without damaging
veget at ion the wall, and it can be established that the
vegetation is not associated with the wall for
example they are not hedge plants including native
and exotic species intentionally planted or
permitted to grow.
Repair of Where damage is caused by treefall, vehicle impact Yes Yes

accident al or other accidental cause, and works are
dam age undertaken as like for like with original stone by a
professional waller in matching style and form
13.4 Dem olit ion
Back gr ound
Most demolitions I rural areas will be for parts or sections of walls. For example, the creation of
new openings or gateways may require the demolition of parts of a wall and the reinstatement of
new end sections. The demolition of sections of walls for the insertion of utility services may
require the temporary demolition of sections, which can be rebuilt afterwards. In some cases,
demolition may be required in order to maintain or carry out substantial repair of a wall, for
example, to repair whole sections or to repair foundations that may have slumped due to rabbit
damage or earth movement.
Extensive demolition may occur in the Urban Growth Areas where new residential, commercial
and industrial development occurs. While provision may be made for retention of some walls in
open space, streamside and road reserves or in private land, it is anticipated that this may not by
possible in many cases
Any demolition of a section of a wall will require a planning permit.
A hier ar chy of pr efer ence w ill be given t o m anaging w alls as follow s
1. Ret ain and conser ve in or iginal set t ing,

2. Avoid im pact s t o w all in new developm ent ,
3. Reconst r uct ion of w alls on new alignm ent s
4. Dem olit ion and r em oval.
Object ives
To ensure the cultural significance of dry stone walls is not adversely impacted, by
ensuring that demolition is minimised and any repair or creation of openings in walls
does not change the alignment or style.
To ensure the structural integrity of walls is maintained.
Guidelines
Demolition of a dry stone wall is generally not acceptable. Applicants should keep in
mind that Council encourages applicants to practice a policy of avoidance or minimising
demolition of walls. Demolition may only occur if the demolition is shown to be
unavoidable and strategic justification is given to the satisfaction of Councils Heritage
Advisor.
The original alignment and construction style of a wall must be maintained in any repair
or maintenance works to walls.
Reconstruction of wall sections must be undertaken by a professional waller, utilising
stone which matches the original type and design of the wall to the satisfaction of
Councils Heritage Advisor.
Any demolition of a section of a wall for a through way or to create road breaks will
require new wall ends to be built.
Ends of walls breached for new openings or gates should be properly finished at wall
ends, with closer stones and tie backs to ensure they do not deteriorate or collapse.
While maintaining the original alignment of a wall is important and desirable, where a
road widening is required, reconstruction of the wall on the new property boundary is an
acceptable alternative to complete removal.
13.5 Subdivision
Back gr ound
The design and planning of all subdivisions should consider dry stone walls within the site. To
ensure that the objectives and guidelines below are met, planning for the retention and
appropriate treatment of walls should commence in the initial concept planning phase. This is
particularly critical in ensuring that appropriate buffers are in place around the wall and it is
incorporated into the overall design of the subdivision.
As part of the pre-application process, Council officers can provide advice on how walls can be
appropriately conserved and integrated into the subdivision design.
As well as the planning permit process, the walls will also need to be considered in the
engineering and landscaping phases of the project.
Object ives:
To ensure the cultural significance and landscape values of dry stone walls are retained
in new subdivisions.
To ensure the cultural significance of dry stone walls is not adversely impacted, by
ensuring that demolition is minimised and any repair or creation of openings in walls
does not change the alignment or style.
To ensure the structural integrity of walls is maintained.
Planning Per m it Requir em ent s
A planning permit is required to:

Change the alignment of any wall
Change the arrangement of openings and gateways in walls
Demolish any part of a wall
Reconstruct part or section of a wall
Construct new wall ends
As part of Councils pre-application process, applicants should discuss with Council officers the
requirements for the protection and retention of dry stone walls. This will ensure that a positive
outcome is achieved in the design of the subdivision that enhances the setting and context of dry
stone walls.
Design Guidelines
Adaptation is acceptable where it has minimal impact on the cultural significance of the
place. It should involve minimal change to significant fabric, achieved only after
considering alternatives.
Rural and residential subdivisions need to maintain an appropriate setting and context
for dry stone walls. This needs to be addressed at the pre-application stage, and be
included in plans submitted for planning and subdivision applications.
Works such as cross-overs and new openings may be acceptable where they do not
distort or obscure the cultural significance of the wall, or detract from its visual appeal.
Applicants will be required to submit photos of the site, the wall and plans of the
proposed works including what repairs and/or rebuilding will be made to ensure
structural integrity of the wall.
Entrances into subdivisions through dry stone walls should attempt to utilise existing
historic openings with allotments arranged in a manner that minimises the impact on the
wall.
The use of carriageway easements, drainage channels or service roads along walls may
be practicable. Building setbacks, drainage plans, service access and allotment design
should consider the impact on dry stone walls.
Dry stone wall reserves should incorporate a 5m wide strip centred on the middle of the
wall. Within this reserve, minor landscaping or gardening works are generally acceptable,
however significant services and infrastructure should not be located within the area.
Walls can be protected within carriageway easements, drainage channels, shared
pathways, or road reserves unless the wall needs to be removed to allow for safety.
New openings through walls should be minimised where possible.
New openings should not affect the structural integrity of a wall.
Building setbacks, the orientation of lots, infrastructure and servicing access
requirements need to consider the visual and structural impact on walls.
Walls should be retained in an open area where lots front on to open space or roads, to
allow for surveillance of the area. This will decrease the possibility of future vandalism /
destruction of walls.
Decision guidelines for assessing subdivisions over land containing dry stone walls should
consider the following:
Whether the subdivision avoids damage or demolition of dry stone walls
If existing gaps and openings are utilised as far as possible
Whether the design provides for conservation and maintenance of walls within suitable
land and curtilage for example linear reserves
Whether there are opportunities to relocate and reconstruct walls
13.6 Engineering w orks

Back gr ound
A large number of Wyndhams walls exist alongside roads and as such are at risk when traffic
engineering works and roadside services are carried out. Engineering works such as the
construction of utility services, roadside drainage, culverts, road widening, the creation of slip
lanes and channelised sections adjacent to walls, need to allow for management of risks to the
integrity of dry stone walls. In some situations, barriers would need to be installed, or the services
of a dry stone waller retained on-site during high risk activities should some demolition be
required as part of the works program.
Places of cultural significance (in this case dry stone walls) should be safeguarded and not put at
risk or left in a vulnerable state.
Walls alongside roads, or where future roads are proposed, are at particular risk when
engineering works and roadside services are carried out.
Engineering works such as the construction of utility services, roadside drainage, culverts, road
widening, the creation of slip lanes and construction of kerb and channel adjacent to walls, need
to allow for management of risks to the integrity of the walls. In some situations, barriers should
be installed, or a dry stone waller retained on-site during high risk activities such as movement of
heavy machinery, construction, and demolition works. Contractors should ensure such
measures are taken during works, and this may be a condition of any Planning Permit, along with
a process for Wyndham council officers to monitor and review protective measures.
Engineers and planners should be aware that sub-surface rock is often prominent where walls
exist. The foundations of walls rely on this stone for their structural stability. Removal, excavation,
rock-breaking, drilling and blasting of sub-surface stone close to walls can cause damage and
create instability. A suitable buffer either side of the walls should be maintained during drainage
or engineering works or other protection put in place to ensure the integrity of the walls. As a
minimum this should be 1m to allow access for maintenance and clearance to the wall structure.
Additional clearance may be needed to meet road design and safety requirements, and for
ensuring stability of walls during excavation works.
The demolition of walls to provide utility services needs to be undertaken carefully and in a
controlled manner. The rebuilding of walls relies on a firm foundation, which can fail where there
has been recent trenching activities, a settling period will be required prior to any reconstruction
to ensure firm foundations. The heritage advisor needs to be consulted in the early stages of
services design.
Walls which are often in an unstable or deteriorated state are at risk from vibration and
accidental dislodgement of stone by large unwieldy machinery.
Object ives
To ensure the cultural significance of dry stone walls is not adversely impacted, high
impact engineering works should be minimised in close proximity to walls.
To ensure that the foundations of walls and sub-surface rock are maintained to
guarantee the structural stability of walls.
To maintain the stability of walls which are in an unstable or deteriorated state, during
engineering works
To ensure the demolition of sections of wall to provide utility services is undertaken in a
controlled manner.
To ensure that walls are not adversely impacted by trenching activity.
Per m it Applicat ion Requir em ent s
In addition to the General permit application requirements for to remove, demolish or alter to a
Dry Stone Wall at Section 13.1, an application in relation to engineering works also requires a
detailed explanation of the proposal and must include the following information:
Plans of the proposed works, including feature plans, engineering plans, drainage plans,
services plans and proposals to mitigate damage.
Designs for road widening, duplication, intersection treatment and other works, should,
wherever possible accommodate walls in median strips, verges, reserves or between the
service roads and main carriageways. Relocation and reconstruction of walls to new
reserve boundaries may also be appropriate.
Some applicants may be required to submit a Dry Stone Wall Management Plan which
indicates how walls will be repaired / reconstructed after engineering works have
occurred. Dry stone wall management plans should provide historical and descriptive
information for the specific wall(s), justification for any impacts, present options for
conservation and management of walls, and mitigation of impacts where these cannot
be avoided.
Guidelines
No engineering works are to occur within a 5 metre wide strip centred on the middle of
the wall, without prior consultation with Councils Heritage Advisor and planning
approval.
Any deterioration in the condition of walls must immediately be brought to the attention
of Councils Heritage Advisor.
Barriers should be installed, and the services of a dry stone waller retained on site during
high risk engineering activities or demolition.
The use of large machinery alongside walls should be restricted, and smaller bobcats or
light weight machinery such as dingo-diggers should be used for earthmoving.
Jackhammers, percussion rock hammers, vibrating compactors or blasting should not
occur within 10 metres of walls. Any noticeable rock falls from walls should immediately
be brought to the attention of the Heritage Advisor and Council.
Setbacks from buildings and other structures should be sufficient to ensure access for
maintenance and avoidance of damage during construction. A two metre setback for
maintenance such as mowing is appropriate, while construction setbacks depend on the
nature of the works, depth of foundation, disturbance to bedrock and mitigation works
to protect the wall during construction.
Setbacks from roads should meet VicRoads and Council clear zone requirements. In
Victoria, clear zone distances are calculated using Part 3 of the Road Design Guidelines.
The required offset is determined by the design speed (normally the posted speed plus
10 km/hr), traffic volume and curvature of the road along with the batter slope. Setbacks
within median strips should be considered in the same manner, with provision for access
for maintenance such as mowing also considered. 248
13.7 Farm ing

Back gr ound
Historic dry stone walls were built to function as farm fences. However, certain farming activities
can result in damage to dry stone walls, in particular the use of heavy machinery.
In farming areas, maintaining the walls as traditional boundaries will not only ensure the fabric
and significance of walls, it will reduce the need for additional fencing. A properly constructed
and maintained dry stone wall can last for hundreds of years. Dry stone walls provide shelter for
stock and wildlife, can improve growing conditions adjacent to them, and they can restrict the
spread of windborne weeds. The benefit of dry stone walls in bushfire prone areas was
recognised in the nineteenth century, as not only do they withstand fire, but also act as very
effective fire breaks.
Object ives:
To ensure that there are no negative impacts on the dry stone walls, their elements or
significant features.
To ensure stones are not knocked off the wall by stock, through the use of temporary
electric fencing or hot wires.
248 Road Design Guidelines VicRoads Design, 2004 http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/N R/rdonlyres/5AB5B669-743E-

4ED3-9202-F1DF96EF2D36/0/SD3501HGuardFenceLocationProcedure.pdf
To ensure that the integrity of the dry stone walls is maintained and no foreign materials
such as concrete is introduced.
To ensure ploughing, harvesting, sowing or using heavy machinery adjacent to walls,
does not dislodge stones or loosen foundations.
13.8 Fencing and signage

Back gr ound
Dry stone walls were designed to be used as fences to separate stock and crops and to mark
property boundaries. The continuation of this use is the most appropriate way to maintain the
fabric and significance of walls. Many walls are no longer in a condition that would guarantee
their function as boundaries, therefore reinstatement of missing sections, copestones or posts
and wire should be a first priority.
Object ives
To ensure new fencing or signage close to dry stone walls does not impact the
significance of a dry stone wall.
The provision of suitable stock fencing is achieved in a manner which allows the dry
stone wall to be retained and maintained.
To ensure supplementary fencing allows effective access to carry out wall repairs, treat
weed infestations, control rabbits or to cut grass.
A planning permit is not required for :

Straining existing wires
Repairing or replacing existing posts
Replacing original fill or hearting stone
Replacing or plugging original coping stones
Maintenance and repair using field stone found close to a wall
A planning permit is required to
Insert new posts or wires in an existing dry stone wall.
Construct a new fence within a 5m wide strip centred on the middle of the wall.
New fencing within five metres of either side of an existing dry stone wall
Per m it Applicat ion Requir em ent s
A permit application for the erection of new fencing will need to provide:
A site plan
Photographs of the existing wall
Details of the alignment of the proposed fence; and
Materials and size of the proposed new fence.
Guidelines:
The height of walls cannot be increased through the introduction of additional stone
courses.
The use of concrete mortar within the wall will not be supported
Farming activities close to walls, particularly those requiring large machinery should be
kept to a minimum to ensure walls are not damaged.
Any damage to walls shall be reported to Councils Heritage Advisor and a plan for repair
formulated.
No fencing works are to occur within a 5m wide strip centred on the middle of the wall ,
without prior consultation with Councils Heritage Advisor
The introduction of new fencing or signage must be located so that it does not obscure
the view of walls from a public place.
The introduction of new fencing must not block access to a dry stone wall.
High Colorbond, metal panel, mesh or paling fences may be deemed inappropriate if
they detract from the appearance of a wall.
Addit ional infor m at ion
All fencing and changes to dry stone wall applications will be assessed on a case by case
basis.
If erecting a supplementary fence, it is important to consider access to the fenced area to
carry out wall repairs, treat weed infestations, control rabbits or to cut grass.
Fire Prevention Notices can be issued if Councils fire prevention officer deems vegetation
growth an unnecessary fire risk.
13.9 Landscape w ork s

Back gr ound
Landscape works include the creation of parks or reserves, the planting of shelter belts, vineyard
infrastructure, revegetation works, erection of dams or bunds and earthworks.
Walls that are included on the Heritage Overlay have a 5m wide strip centred on the middle of
the wall which is included in the overlay. This 5m buffer is to protect the wall from the impacts of
road construction, trenching for services, footpaths, and other hard-infrastructure activities.
In new urban developments, a 10m reserve for dry stone walls can be achieved in linear parks
and open space reserves or alongside roads or housing.
Conservation of walls in their original setting may be either an open rural setting for most
boundary or internal paddock walls, or a stronger built form setting such as stock yards and
homestead yard walls. In the latter case they should be maintained and conserved in conjunction
with related buildings, or compatible new built forms. Such compatible forms would be new
structures in keeping with the historic elements, such as use of traditional materials (stone, brick,
timber, corrugated iron), and in a sympathetic scale and form (generally single storey, pitched
roofs, with elevations less than 20m).
Object ives
To ensure the cultural significance of dry stone walls is not adversely impacted, hard
infrastructure activities and earthworks should be minimised in close proximity to walls.
Walls should be retained in their original location to preserve their significance.
To protect lichens and native vegetation and the integrity of walls, woody weeds cannot
be removed from walls using machinery and herbicide use must be done in a controlled
manner.
A planning permit is NOT required for manual weed removal and herbicide use, if it will not
adversely impact a wall.
A planning permit may be required for landscape works where the woks are within a heritage
overlay, or will impact on a dry stone wall under clause 52.37, if they include:
Changing the alignment of a wall
Changing the arrangement of openings and gateways in walls
Demolition of sections of walls
Reconstruction of walls
Removal of woody weeds using machinery
Constructing new wall ends.
Guidelines
No hard landscaping works are to occur within a 5m wide strip centred on the middle of
the wall, without prior consultation with Councils Heritage Advisor
Walls must not be moved to accommodate new landscaping works.
Landscape works, including new plantings and shelter belts should be discussed with
Council officers prior to works being undertaken.
Excess herbicide must not be used on the face of dry stone walls.
Weeds in walls must only be removed through ground level use of herbicide or a cut and
paint method.
Addit ional Infor m at ion
If erecting a supplementary fence, it is important to consider access to the fenced area to carry
out wall repairs, treat weed infestations, control rabbits or to cut grass.
Fire Prevention Notices can be issued if Councils fire prevention officer deems vegetation growth
an unnecessary fire risk.
Figure 87: Example of how dry stone walls can be adapted to new developments.
Figure 88: Cross section example of a road break through a dry stone wall in a new
development 249
249 Diagrams from City of Melton dry stone wall engineering and subdivision policies.(courtesy Sara-Jane Peters)
14 Maintenance and repair of dry stone walls
The following guidelines have been written as general principles for applicants/owners. In most
cases, a professional waller would be employed to carry out or supervise rebuilding of walls.
These general guidelines are for the purposes of understanding what would be generally
acceptable as maintenance and repair.
Maint enance of dry stone walls is not the same as repair. Maintenance of dry stone walls is the
continuous, protective care of the fabric and setting of walls and does not require a planning
permit.
The replacement of copestones if they have been dislodged, the trimming of vegetation, the
replacement of loose plugging in the wall, would not normally require a planning permit.
Assistance with maintenance programs for dry stone walls is available through Councils Heritage
Advisor.
Walls should be regularly inspected (at least once a year) and the following maintenance tasks
carried out:
Walls should be inspected at least once a year and their condition noted, particularly to
address dislodged stones, fallen trees and rabbit burrowing, which if left untreated will
cause further damage.
Potentially damaging vegetation which has begun to establish itself should be removed
as early as possible. A strip at least 1m wide on either side of the wall should be kept free
of encroachment by trees and shrubs.
Cope stones which have been dislodged or removed should be replaced.
Likewise, where other damage has occurred to the structure of the wall, repair should be
carried out as soon as possible to prevent such deterioration spreading.
Rabbit burrows should be fumigated as soon as they are noted and where possible large
burrows backfilled. 250
Repair of dry stone walls, which is defined as returning the existing fabric to a known earlier state
by reassembling its parts, may require a planning permit if it involves using new or introduced
stone, or the restitution of damaged sections to an earlier state.
As a general rule for planning permit applications:
Works requiring substantial removal, replacement or alterations to dry stone walls will
require a planning permit.
Repairing historic dry stone walls using quarried and cut stone in a style different to the
original, is not acceptable.
Walls should be repaired using stone from the collapsed section, alongside the road or
elsewhere in the adjoining paddocks.
Robbing of collapsed walls to repair other walls is generally not acceptable.
New fencing should not replace walls that can be rebuilt or repaired.
250 For further information, see: Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, 'A Brief Guide to the Inspection of
Dry Stone Walling Work', http://www.dswa.org.uk/userfiles/file/Leaflets/1-Inspection-of-walling-work-updated-
2008.pdf
The style of repair should be in keeping with the structure and form of the original or
adjoining lengths.
Exemptions to permit requirements may be provided where the works involve regular
maintenance, such as securing loose stones, cutting woody weeds, repair of like with like,
or reinstatement of coping stones where the original stones and positions can both be
determined.
Pr ofessional w aller s should be employed where substantial change, repair or reconstruction is
required.
For some applicants, requests for substantial changes to walls, construction of new walls or
demolition of walls will require a planning permit and the services of a professional waller.
(Council and the Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia both keep a list of professional wallers.)
The construction of wall end sections is crucial to maintaining structural stability, and so
in situations where new openings are required into a wall, a professional waller will be
required to carry out the works.
Repairs to walls may require the services of a waller to supervise or carry out works, if
these require the reconstruction of sections or substantial restoration.
In some situations, a simple repair may have to be carried out by a waller if the wall has
been constructed in a manner that uses difficult walling techniques or traditional styles.
Repair for composite walls, where post and wire fencing is sued may require a waller
where replacement of posts will require removal of stone.
During repair, careful attention should be paid to any evidence of original form and fabric, such
as post and rail fencing. Where such fabric is identified, every effort should be made to retain it
where practicable and it should be photographed and recorded.
14.1 Specificat ions for repair and r econst ruct ion
14.1.1 Gener al specificat ion

These general specifications apply to the characteristic Keilor-Werribee plains, half and full height
dry stone walls. They are intended to guide restoration and reconstruction works and support
the use of traditional stone wall building methods, producing walls which have the appearance of
historical and original dry stone walls of the region.
The critical elements of the regions dry stone walls include the following:
Weathered rounded field stone predominates, with only limited use of quarried or cut stone
Grass removed and foundation trenches dug to depth of topsoil
Base of wall = c800mm
Batter of side = 5-10 degrees
Height wall = 800-1200mm; full wall = 1300-1500mm
Width at top = c300mm
Foundation Stones = largest available laid flat
Building stones = generally 200-400mm max diam. Length into the wall
Coping stones = 300-500mm max. diam. Length across the wall, width vertical, minimise gaps
Through stones at height were possible
Coursing where regular sized stone available.

Hearting filling voids
Plugging where appropriate
No mortar or cement can be used
The following diagrams represent the principle construction forms for full height dry stone walls,
based on UK practice. The main difference in local dry stone walls will be in the lower height
(although the base is likely to remain the same), and less regular coursing, depending on the
range and size of stone available. The use of weathered rounded stone, with minimum shaping
or breaking of stone is critical to an authentic Melton or Keilor-Werribee plains style of dry stone
wall. 251
Figure 89: Diagrams of construction specifications and glossary terms252
251 A very useful guide to construction is available at http://www.insaatforumu.net/Yazilar.asp?goster=dos&id=369

252 John Vivian, Building Stone Walls,
http://pachamamatrust.org/f2/1_K/CBu_build/St07_dry_stonewalling_2_KBu.htm
International Specialist Skills, http://issinstitute.org.au/wp-content/media/2011/04/ISS-FEL-REPORT-D-LONG-Low-
Res.pdf
Figure 90: Cross-sections of (left) standard double dry stone wall and (right) a Galloway March dyke.
(Measurements are as a guide only)253
The following are good examples of the distinctive half and full height walls found in the region
and to which restoration projects should aspire.
Figure 91: Characteristic wall near Greek Hill, showing original appearance of intact traditional full height wall
in Keilor-Werribee Plains.
Figure 92: Unpinned full height wall with small stone coping (with some slumping) at Truganina.
253 Dry stone Walls Association UK
Figure 93: Tightly pinned half wall with regular coping at Ravenhall
Figure 94: Loosely pinned half wall with irregular coping at Ravenhall
14.1.2 Repair t echniques

Repairs to a simple freestanding boundary or paddock wall can be carried out competent
property owners or occupants with the owner's permission. Larger, more complex walls such as
those over 1.2m high, garden and retaining walls such as those beside a bank or dam, on the
other hand, should be repaired by a specialist contractor.
Dry stone wall problems

'Gaps' where a section of the wall has moved significantly or started to collapse are a common
problem. Tackle these by dismantling a V-shaped section of the wall around the problematic area
and rebuild.
'Running joints' where a roughly straight line, running vertically, appears between stones -
reduce the stability of the wall. Though less urgent than gaps, a running joint can be fixed in the
same ways as a gap: by dismantling a V-shaped section and rebuilding.
In cases where a tree is damaging a wall, contact a professional waller who will 'bridge' the roots
allowing for more growth.
How to rebuild a section of a drystone wall 254
Drystone walling tools
Specialist 'Pennine walling hammers' a tool with a square end for finishing the sides of stones
cost about $50 from an agricultural supplier or something similar form most hardware stores.
1. Match the design and type of stone
By looking at a cross-section of the partly-dismantled wall, youll be able to repair the wall
according to the existing design. Always match the type of stone too, in keeping with local style.
In the Keilor-Werribee Plains, for example, dry stone walls tend to made from rounded basalt
boulders whereas in the Victorian Western District, they are usually blocky, vesicular basalt. Stone
sizes and shapes, and their various positions in walls vary between areas and sometimes from
one practitioner to another. Careful examination of well-preserved sections of the wall will give a
guide to the desired appearance..
2. Build with a 1:6 'batter'
Boundary walls are constructed with two sides or 'skins', tapering inward to the top at a 1:6
gradient (about 15% or 10 degrees from vertical). Maintain this inward gradient (known as the
'batter') as it helps with stability and encourages rain to roll off.
3. The 'first lift'
Start with the largest stones to build the 'first lift'. As you work upward, the stones should get
smaller. Place the stones according to the dry stone waller's 'strength in length' maxim with
their longer side pointing into the wall.
You should also build as you would a brick wall with the stones level and the joins bridged by the
stone above and below. 'One on two, two on one!'
4. Fill with 'hearting' stones
Put 'hearting' or 'fill' stones into the space between the two skins. Never use soil or mortar and
place each fill stone solidly rather than pouring them in haphazardly.
5. 'Through' stones and further lifts
Use a larger 'through' stone, which spans the entire width of the wall at 1m intervals vertically.
The second and any subsequent 'lifts' should take the same form as the first, except that theyll
be tapering in using smaller stones toward the top.
6. 'Coping' stones
Finish the wall with 'coping' tones these sit vertically and join the two skins. Often, theyve a
curved shape.
14.2 Exam ples of r econst r uct ed st one w alls
Some of the following examples of restored, reconstructed and totally new stone walls are
presented to show the range and qualities of various approaches. These range for fully mortared
254 Alan Devonport, Dry stone walls: repair and maintenance , http://local.which.co.uk/advice/how-to-repair-
maintain-dry-stone-drystone-wall
walls on concrete foundations to highly accurate tradition dry stone techniques. In most cases,
these projects, however, fail to reproduce either the technical construction methods or the
appearance of the traditional walls of the Melton district.
Mortar core walls in particular produce a result at odds with the 'dry' appearance of original walls,
which invariably have deep recesses between stones which cast shadows and create the
impression of voids.
14.2.1 Poor exam ples

These two examples have stone facing more typical of veneered treatments of block walls,
creating a stone surface, but none of the construction form and technique of dry stone walls. The
sharp edges and uniform surfaces are opposite to the character of traditional dry stone walls.
Lack of coping magnifies these faults.
Figure 95: Former Agricultural Research State entrance Werribee: Mortared wall with bare joints simulating
dry stone appearance, corner clipped by vehicle
Figure 96: Mortared wall in housing estate entrance in nearby Bridge St South Melton.
14.2.2 Moder at e exam ples of m or t ar ed w alls
These walls, while having more of the appearance of dry stone walls, and incorporating coping
stones, are built with much smaller stone, and excessively regular surfaces, again a consequence
of the mortared construction. They would be acceptable with some modification (larger building
stones, less regular coping, less broken stone) but only where the appearance and not
authenticity of construction is required. They would not be regarded as good examples of
conservation of historic fabric where the objective is to retain and conserve original dry stone
walls.
Figure 97: Entrance wall at Broadmeadows Valley Park mortared with dry stone appearance
Figure 98: Malvern Valley golf course entrance mortared core wall with dry stone appearance
14.2.3 Moder at e exam ples of un-m or t ar ed w alls

The feature entrance at Terang uses traditional construction methods from the district, but the
scale and form of the wall is far more substantial than normally found in the area, and is more of
an artistic 'interpretation' of a dry stone wall. Its purpose is publicity and promotion rather than
conservation. This is similar to the case of the feature at Doherty's Road near Mt Cottrell,
undertaken by the Wyndham Road Improvement Group led by David Sajfar and Frances
Overmars with a small group of Mt Cottrell and Tarneit residents which is taller than the original
full height walls of the district, and like the Terang wall is intended for promotional value rather
than conservation.
Figure 99: Entrance feature at Terang in traditional dry stone wall construction, but larger scale than usually
found in the district.
Figure 100: Doherty's Road 'Entrance to Mt Cotterell and Cobbledicks Ford Reserve' feature wall designed by
Alistair Tune.
The extensive reconstructed dry stone walls on the Angliss state have some traditional
construction form, but with the addition of a mortared cope. This has failed in many sections due
to the inadequate footings and poor construction method leading to slumping of the wall, either
causing the rigid cope to be suspended above gaps or to crack and be entirely dislodged. Several
parts of the wall have been damaged by vehicle impacts and other disturbance.
Because these walls are modern construction, they are not covered by clause 52.37 of the
planning scheme which is limited to walls built prior to 1940. As they are not traditional style
walls, and are not on the original alignments of original walls, they are not considered to have
heritage value otherwise. They may be a visual indication that dry stone walls were once a feature
of the local landscape, but this is unlikely to be something the general public will be aware of.
Figure 101: Angliss Estate Boundary Road Derrimut - reconstructed wall with mortared coping stones partly
collapsed
14.2.4 Good exam ples

Melton council has undertaken a number of dry stone wall conservation projects. The first shown
below near Mt Cottrell is considered to have too much cut stone incorporated in its construction
(although the unrestored walls in this area also have a high proportion of cut stone. This location
also had a ruined bluestone house, the stone of which may have subsequently been
incorporated in the walls. The second wall near the Mt Cottrell reserve has been repaired with
little or no new knapping of the stone. Both of the following examples have well-constructed wall
ends.
Figure 102: Restored traditional dry stone wall sheep yards on, Mt Cottrell Road.
Figure 103: Mt Cottrell Reserve entrance, reconstructed section of wall with new wall head.
Some walls in the City of Whittlesea have been reconstructed as part of conditions of planning
permits. The wall in the distance in the following photo has been constructed in a fairly rough
traditional dry stone method, which is appropriate to the style of wall being removed and shown
in the foreground, although the timber posts have not been reinstated.
Figure 104: Old wall on Harvest Home Road Epping and replacement wall in front of new service centre.
Figure 105: Plenty Road South M orang accurate reconstruction of Yan Yean Pipe Track wall
http://contextpl.com.au/projects-services/project/plenty-road-drystone-wall/
Overnewton at Keilor has a number of substantial restored and newly reconstructed dry stone
walls in traditional technique. These have survived well in a heavily used context.
Figure 106: Overnewton gatehouse Keilor reconstructed dry stone wall
The tumble-down walls at the Lutheran cemetery and chapel at Westgarth town have been left
in a tumbledown form retaining the historical and landscape character. They do not appear to
present any major safety of maintenance issues, and a new wall was also constructed along the
creek. ht t p:/ / w w w .w ik inor t hia.net .au/ w est gar t ht ow n-lut her an-cem et er y/
Figure 107: Lutheran chapel and dry stone wall

Figure 108: The stony rises project http://www.netsvictoria.org.au/assets/services/pdf/Stony-
Risesexhibition-description.pdf
Glossary
Commonly used terms and their meanings;
Ter m Meaning
A fr am e Wooden or metal frame used as a guide when building a wall.
Base St one See Foundation.
Bat t er The slope (taper) of a wall or hedge, expressed as an angle or as a ratio

of horizontal to vertical dimensions.
Bat t er fr am e A wooden or metal frame used as a guide to the correct batter and to
the heights of throughs and topstones when building a wall or hedge.
Also known as a pattern (South West), template or wall gauge
(Cotswolds) or walling or dyke frame (Scotland).
Bed Deposition layer in sedimentary rock. In walling, the flattish base of a

stone or any plane along which it splits readily.
Bee Bole A niche constructed in the wall to provide a shelf and shelter for bee
skeps or occasionally for hives.
Br eccia Rock composed of sharp-angled fragments cemented in a fine matrix.
Br och An Iron Age round tower built of dry stonework as a citadel against
raiders. Found especially in the Orkneys and Shetlands.
Buck-and-doe (of A form of coping alternating large and small upright topstones to give a
Due) castellated effect. Also known as cock-and-hen (Cotswolds).
Building St one See Doubling or Double Dyking.
Capping St one See Cope Stones.
Chain A traditional Unit of measurement, 22 yards (20m).
Cheekends See Wall Head.
Chip and block A type of stone hedging in which small stones (chips) and large stones
(blocks) are intermixed within each course (Devon).
Clear ance w all A wall built largely from stones cleared from the surface of adjacent
land. When the Wall is made extra wide to accommodate the stones it is
also known as an accretion wall or consumption dyke (Scotland).
Cleavage The structure by which certain metamorphic rocks, such as slate, split
most readily, often at an angle to the original bedding plane.
Consum pt ion Dyke Wall built with stone to clear the land and which is especially wide. Also
called clearance wall and accretion wall.
Copest ones (Coping) The top stones the stones along the top of the wall to give weight and
protection. Also called cams, cope, tops, toppers, comb (Cotswolds and
South West).
Cor ner St one Used in the construction of wall in turning a sharp bend. Much the same
as a cheekend.
Cour se Horizontal layer of stones in the face of a wall or hedge. Coverband A

layer of throughstones placed on top of the double dyking to anchor it
and form a base for the coping (Scotland) .
Cover band Large stones placed across width of wall to form base for the copestones
in some areas. (rarely evident in Victorian Walls occasionally found in
Western District and Central Goldfields)
Cr ipple hole A rectangular opening at the base of a wall built to permit the passage of
sheep. Also known as a hogg hole, lonky or lunky hole, sheep run, sheep
smoose, smout hole, thawl or thirl hole.
Cr ow n The top of a bank or hedge. Also known as a comb (Devon) .
Dit ch A long narrow trench dug as a boundary, barrier or drain. In Ireland and
parts of Wales, a bank or other raised barrier.
Double Dyk ing or Term used for a dry stone wall built with two faces of stones, packed with
Doubling hearting between. Also known as doubling (Galloway). Distinguished from
single dyking in which only one thickness of stones is used with no fillings.
Dr y st one w all A wall built without mortar. Also known as a drystane dyke (Scot.) or dry
stone hedge (Cornwall).
Dyke A wall (Scotland). Also spelled dike.
Face An exposed side of a wall, hedge or bank.
Face st one A stone whose outer surface forms part of the face of the wall.
Fence A structure serving as an enclosure, barrier or boundary, loosely used to

include Walls, hedges banks, ditches and dykes.
Fillings Small, irregular stones placed between the two faces of a wall to pack
the space between them. Also known as hearting (Scotland).
Fissile Rock characterised by a tendency to split readily along planes of bedding

or cleavage.
Flag Thin-bedded sandstone which breaks up readily into flat slabs. Loosely
used for a flat slab of any type.
Foliat ion The structure, similar to but less regular and perfect than cleavage, by
which the minerals in rocks such as schist and gneiss are arranged in
parallel planes due to metamorphism.
Foot ing A stone at the base of a Wall, or the foundation of a wall in general. Also
known as a found.
Foundat ion The first layer of large stones in the base of the wall, also called footing
or found.
Fr eest one Stone which has no tendency to split in any particular direction.
Fr eest one Stone which has no tendency to split in any particular direction.
Gallow ay hedge A combination dry stone Wall and thorn hedge which is constructed
along a hillside so that the hedge shrubs root through the wall and are
protected by it from livestock on the uphill side
Gap or Gapping A breach in a dry stone wall due to defect or damage. Gapping is the
repair of it and the gapper is a dyker who carries out the repair. To fall,
leaving a breach; to repair a breach.
Gr it Any hard sandstone, especially one in which small pebbles are mixed
with the sand to give a rough texture suitable for millstones. Also known
as gritstone.
Head The smooth, vertical end of a Wall or section of Wall. Also known as a
cheek (Scotland).
Hear t ing The small irregular stones used as filling or packing in the core of a
double wall.
Hedge A line of closely planted shrubs or low-growing trees. In Devon, an earth-

filled bank used as a barrier or boundary and faced with stones or turf In
Cornwall, any earth or stone barrier.
Hen & Chick en Alternating tall and short coping stones, also known as 'Buck & Doe"
Her r ingbone A type of stone facing in which alternate courses of stones are angled in
opposite directions.
Lam inat ion A structure of fine, closely spaced layering along the bedding planes in
certain sedimentary rocks.
Lint el A stone slab or wood or metal beam placed over an opening to bridge it
and support the structure above.
Locked t op A type of coping in which the topstones are pinned into a solid unit using
long thin wedge stones. Mainly Scotland.
Lunkie Hole Passageway through wall to allow sheep access to other side but
preventing cattle from crossing. Also called cripple hole, hogg hole or thirl
hole.
Mar ch dyke A major enclosure wall running between estates (Scotland).
Mash ham m er Small hammer between 1.5 and 3 kgs in weight usually with a
rectangular head, for helping set stones.
Masonr y Stonework characterised by the use of cut and trimmed stone.
Maw ling ham m er A large axe-like sledge hammer used in shaping of wallends and/or
copestones.
Pein The striking surface of a hammer head.
Pinnings / Pins Small, usually tapering stones used to wedge building stones in a wall
face firmly in place.
Plugging Small stone used to fill gaps in the face of the stonework. Sometimes
used to discourage rabbits or for aesthetic purposes to create a
smoother finish.
Quar t zit e Sandstone consisting mainly of quartz grains cemented into a hard
continuous mass by silica.
Rag Any of several kinds of hard coarse rock, mainly limestone, which break
irregularly. Also known as ragstone.
Ret aining w all A wall built across the face of a bank or slope to keep the soil from
slipping.
Rood The traditional unit of wall measurement, 6 yards (5.5m) in granite

districts in Scotland and 7 yards (6.4m) in limestone districts and
through most of Yorkshire.
Rubble Rough, mainly untrimmed, walling stone; walls or copings characterised

by such stone.
Runner A long face stone used in a wall head (Scotland).
Running Joint Vertical joins which align one above the other leading to a weakness in
the wall.
Scar cem ent The in-set between the outer edge of the footings and the first course of
face stones (Scotland).
Seem ing Running joint on a vertical axis on either side of the wall.
Shoot ing but t A small, usually circular enclosure built to shelter grouse shooters.
Single Dyke Wall built with single stones going the width of the wall.
Sledge Ham m er See Mawling Hammer.
Sm oot A small rectangular opening in the base of a wall. Rabbit smoots

(Scotland: pen hole; Mendips: pop hole) are designed to permit the
passage of hares and rabbits. Water smoots (Scotland: double water
pen) are designed to permit the passage of water.
Spar Any of various non-metallic, lustrous and readily cleaved minerals, such
as felspar.
St ile A set of steps over, or an opening through, a wall, hedge or other fence
designed to allow passage to pedestrians but not livestock.
St oop An upright monolith set into the ground against the wall head of a gate
or stile. Also spelled stoup
St r ing Lines String lines used in the building industry to ensure a straight line.
Subdivision w all A wall built to divide a major enclosure into smaller sections, often
somewhat lower and less well constructed than the boundary wall.
Thr ough Heavy, large stones placed at regular intervals across the width of a wall
Thr oughst ones to tie the two sides together. Also known as a throughstone or a
throughband or tieband (Scotland).
Tie A throughstone used in a wall head.
Topst one A stone used in a wall's coping. Also known as a cope stone, topper or
topping.
Tr ace Walling Placing of stones along face of wall rather than placing length of stone
into the wall for strength.
Wall Ends See Wall Head.
Wall Head Vertical end to a length of wall. Also called cheekend. See head
Walling Fr am es See A Frames.
Walling Pins Used as a substitute for A Frame.
Wedge A small stone placed under or behind a face stone to position it securely
see plugging and pin
Bibliography
Allom Lovell Sanderson Pty Ltd (with Jessie Serle),Werribee Park Metropolitan Park Conservation
Analysis prepared for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works in 1985
Ann Beggs-Sunter, Buninyong and District Community News, Issue 211, August 1996
Australia ICOMOS (1999), The Illustrated Burra Charter , The Australia ICOMOS Charter for the
Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance (the Burra Charter), revised edition.
Australia ICOMOS Practice Note "Understanding and assessing cultural significance" 2013.
Batey, I., n.d., Further Notes on Early Days on the Keilor and Werribee Plains (MS), Box 26/1, La
Trobe Library.
Batey, I., The Pioneers of the Sunbury District, (MS) Box 26/2, La Trobe Library. 1907
Beattie, Steward K, The Odd Good Year: Early Scots to Port Phillip, Northern Australia, Gap,
Gisborne and Beyond, Southwood Press, Marrickville, 1999, p.63
Beggs-Sunter, Ann, Buninyong and District Com munity News, Issue 211, August 1996
Billis and Kenyon, Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip,
Bilszta, JA, Dry Stone Wall: Faulkners Road, Mt Cottrell, Shire of Melton, 9/9/1990, unpublished
paper
Brown, F, Mt Derrimut (H7822-0751) Dry Stone Walls Partial Demolition Consent, Australand 2005
Burke, H. and Smith, C. The Archaeologists Field Handbook, Allen and Unwin, Melbourne, 2004
Cameron, Alex, 'Melton Memoirs (Melton & District Historical Society, unpublished typescript),
p.8;
Cannon. Michael. Life in the Country: Australia in the Victorian Age: 2, Nelson, West Melbourne,
1978, pp.89-90; and Graham Condahs Of the Hut I Builded, Cambridge University Press,
Melbourne, 1988
Carboni, Raffaello, The Eureka Stockade, Currey O'Neil, Blackburn, Vic., 1980
Chandler John, Michael Canon, Forty Years in the Wilderness, Loch Haven, Main Ridge, 1990
Conservation & Environment, Remnant Native Grasslands and grassy Woodlands of the
Melbourne Area. 1990.
Context Pty Ltd and Dr Carlotta Kellaway / Heritage of the City of Wyndham: Vol. 2; heritage
places: City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, Werribee: Wyndham City Council, 1987.
Corangamite Arts Council, If these walls could talk- Report of the Corangamite Dry Stone Walls
Conservation Project 1995
Countryside Commission's evaluation of the condition of English walls. (Brooks 1999)
County of Bourke Atlas 1892, Victorian Shire Map Company
Curr, Edward M. Australian race : its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia, and
the routes by which it spread itself over that continent 1886.
Devonport, Alan Dry stone walls: repair and maintenance , http://local.which.co.uk/advice/how-

to-repair-maintain-dry-stone-drystone-wall
Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, 'A Brief Guide to the Inspection of Dry Stone
Walling Work', http://www.dswa.org.uk/userfiles/file/Leaflets/1-Inspection-of-walling-work-
updated-2008.pdf
du Cros H. and P. Watt in Skeleton Creek catchment: Aboriginal and European heritage study,
1993, p.19.
du Cros, H & Watt, P (1993) Aboriginal and European heritage study: Skeleton Creek
catchment. Victorian Heritage Inventory H7822/0 136; Rural Heritage Study: Western Region
of Melbourne (1994) - W68
Earth Imprints, Outer Western Metro Reassessment Project Melton and Wyndham ,
Prepared for Heritage Victoria, March 2010
Evans Albert, Early Settlers to the 1969 Fires, typescript held by Frances Overmars. 49
Falla, RP, Scab Disease in Sheep: An Historical Study, Donald History & Natural History Group,
1963, p. 1
Fences Statute 1874: 217, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/fa189067.pdf see: "The

New Fencing Act of Victoria." The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.: 1866 - 1939) 3 Jan 1874: 5. Web. 3
Mar 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18328964>.
Garner, Lawrence. Dry stone walls Risborough: Shire Publications, - Shire album; 114 1984, 2nd ed.
2005, Princes
Gervasoni, Claire, talk to Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia 4/6/2006
Green, Geo. F., A brief history of Truganina from the coming of white man to 1935, History of the
Mt. Cotterell Schools 1935. Draft copy held by Frances Overmars
Thompson, E.C. The history of school No. 192, Truganina, The Educational Magazine, Vol. 17(10),
1960, p. 468-475.
Growth Areas Authority East Werribee Employment Precinct, Precinct Structure Plan, Sept. 2013,
p.53.
Heritage Victoria, Guidelines for Conducting Historical Archaeological Surveys, Department of

Planning and Community Development, Melbourne2008,
History of Truganina State School 1930.
Holdsworthy, Marshall & Moloney, Melton Shire Dry Stone Walls Study, report to Shire of Melton,
2007
International Specialist Skills, http://issinstitute.org.au/wp-content/media/2011/04/ISS-FEL-

REPORT-D-LONG-Low-Res.pdf
James, K. History of Werribee, The first One hundred Years, Werribee District Historical Society
1985
James, Ken, and Lance Pritchard Werribee The First 100 Years Second edition 2008, p. 101
Johnston. Chris Rural Heritage Study: Western Region of Melbourne 1994
Kerr, JS, Fencing, a brief account of the development of fencing in Australia, Australasian Society
for Historical Archaeology Newsletter, Vol. 14.No.1, March 1984, pp.9-16.
Kiddle, Margaret, Men of Yesterday, a social history of the Western district of Victoria, 1834 - 1890.
1967
Kinnear, Edward, Dry stone walling techniques Dry Stone Walling; BTCV , Col. F Rainsford
Land Conservation Council, Melbourne East District 1 Review, Land Conservation Council Victoria.
1991
Land Conservation Council, Report on the Melbourne Study Area, Land Conservation Council,
Melbourne. 1973
Lane, S. & Rhodes, D., The Art of Road Construction: Excavation of Rockbank Middle Road
Caroline Springs Middle Neighbourhood, Report to Delphin Property Group. 1999,
Lang. T.A. An analysis of the need for these works was commented on in Werribee River and
tributaries. Report on proposed reservoir at Cobbledick's Ford State Rivers and Water Supply
Commission.
Liddard Don, photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/donliddard/
Loudon, JC, Encyclopaedia of Agriculture, 5th Edition (Longman Brown Green Longmans and
Roberts, London, 1857), p.496
Marquis-Kyle, P. and Walker, M. The Illustrated Burra Charter: Making Good Decisions about the Care
of Important Places, Australia ICOMOS, Brisbane. 1992
Mayne-Wilson, Warwick, Conserving the Dry Stone Walls of Kiama. 2002 Dry Stone Walls of
Lennox Head. Malcolm Milner, 2000
McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F., Speight, J.G., Walker, J. and Hopkins, M.S. Australian Soil and Land
Survey, Inkata Press, Melbourne. 1984
McDougall, K. Sites of Botanical Significance in the Western Region of Melbourne, Department of
Conservation, Forests & Land. 1987
McLellan, Rod, The Dry Stone Walls of Victorias Western District, Historic Environment Vol. 7 No
2, 1989, pp.28-32
Melton City Council, Dry Stone Wall Driving Trail Brochure

Mitchell, H, Building Dry Stone Walls, Grass Roots, No.48, April 1985,
Moloney, D. Rowe, David. Jellie, Pamelia. Peters, Sera Jane. Shire of Melton Heritage Study, Stage
One Environmental History, report to Shire of Melton. 2002
Morris, G, Centennial History, Werribee, extract obtained from Werribee Banner, 5th April 1962.
Muir, S. An archaeological survey of a proposed primary school site, Rockbank, Victoria. Report
for Sinclair Knight Merz. 2002
Munday, B. Those dry-stone walls: stories from South Australias stone age. with photographs by
Kristin Munday. Wakefield Press. 2012
Murray, E, The Plains of Iramoo, Henwood & Dancy, Geelong, 1974
Murray, Michael, John Prayers and pastures: Moidart emigrants in Victoria, 1852-1920 Deakin
University November citing: The Historical Sub-Committee of The Centenary Celebrations
Council, 2006
Pearson, M. and Sullivan, S. Looking After Heritage Places, Melbourne University Press. 1995
Peel, L.J., Rural Industry in the Port Phillip Region 1835-1880, MUP. 1974
Perkins, Nathan in Corangamite Arts Council, op. cit., p.130;
Peterson, Richard, Daniel Catrice, Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study, 1994
Popp, E. Glimpses of Early Sunshine, Sunshine & District Historical Society. 1979
Powell, J. M. The Public Lands of Australia Felix: settlement and land appraisal in Victoria 1834-91
with special reference to the Western Plains Oxford University Press, 1970
Presland, G, An Archaeological Survey of the Melbourne Metropolitan Area. AAV Occasional

Report Series No 15. 1983
Presland, G. Aboriginal Melbourne, Penguin. 1994
Priestley, Susan , The Victorians: Making Their Mark, Fairfax, Syme & Weldon Associates, McMahons
Point, 1984
Pullar, E.M. 'Foot and Mouth Disease in Australia with particular reference to the Victorian
incident of 1872', In Victorian Veterinary Proceedings, 1964-65.
Rainsford-Hannay, Colonel F Dry Stone Walling, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright Drystane Dyking

Committee, Gatehouse-of- Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, 1972
Ronald Heather B, Wool Past the Winning Post: A history of the Chirnside family, 1978
Rosengren, N. J. Sit es of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Western Region of

Melbourne, Dept. of Conservation, Forests & Land. 1986
Rowe, D, Lara Heritage Review Phase 2: Draft Thematic History, February 2013,
Royal Commission into Closed Roads, Progress Report (containing minutes of evidence etc.),
Victorian Parliamentary Papers (No.72), 1878
Serle, Jessie, Point Cooke, a history prepared for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works"
1985
Shillinglaw, John J. A journal of the exploration of Charles Grimes, 1802-1803 by James Flemming.
Published City of Footscray Historical Society. c.1984.
Sinclair & Atchison, Pre-colonial vegetation of the Werribee Plains Cunninghamia 12(3): 2012
SMEC Australia Pty Ltd Cobbledicks Ford Reserve Flora and Fauna Management Plan, Revision
No.2 for Wyndham City Council, 2010, p. 20
Spreadborough, R. and Anderson, H. Victorian Squatters, Red Rooster Press, Ascot Vale. 1983
Starr, J., n.d., Melton: Plains of Promise, Melton Historical Society
Stewart, G, The Newer Volcanics lava field between Deer Park and the Werribee River, Geological
Survey of Victoria, Unpublished Report 1977/26, 1977, pp.4, 7.
Strong Bill, Flickr photostream.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/87791108@N00/2786708692/in/photostream/ with permission
Strong, Bill Werribee - The area, its people and heritage. Flickr stream, 'Synnot
family'https://www.flickr.com/groups/799686@N21/discuss/72157632778702882/
Sutherland, A. Melbourne and Its Metropolis. 1888,
Terraculture Dry Stone Wall Management Plan, 215 Harvest Home Road Wollert, report for Millar
and Merrigan Pty Ltd. 2004
Tucker Catherine Dry Stone Wall Management Plan Epping Road, Wollert A report for Spiire
Report Author: 2012 Terraculture
VicRoads Design Road Design Guidelines VicRoads Design, 2004

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/5AB5B669-743E-4ED3-9202-
F1DF96EF2D36/0/SD3501HGuardFenceLocationProcedure.pdf
Victorian Heritage Register, http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/127485/HV-

VHR_Criteria_and_Thresholds_Guidelines-2012.pdf
Vines, G, Comparative Analysis of Dry Stone Walls in Victoria, Australia and Overseas, in
Corangamite Arts Council, 1995,
Vines, G. Doherty's farm, Doherty's Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4,
Vines, G., Built to Last: A Survey of Dry Stone Walls in Melbourne's Western Region. Living
Museum of the West, 1990
Vines, G., Chaff-Mills in Melbourne's West an Industrial Sites Study, Living Museum of the West,
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gary_Vines/publications 1987
Vines, G., Davis Creek Drainage Scheme Preliminary Archaeological assessment. Melbourne
water, 2009
Vines, G., Hopkins Road Archaeological Survey, Report to Gutteridge, Haskins & Davey and
VicRoads. 1993
Vines, G., Pastoral Properties - Grazing on the Keilor Melton Plains, Living Museum of the West,
1994
Vines, G., Tarneit Rd. Preliminary Archaeological Assessment, Report to WBCM Group,1992
Vines, Gary Doherty's farm, Doherty's Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
Vivian, John Building Stone Walls,

http://pachamamatrust.org/f2/1_K/CBu_build/St07_dry_stonewalling_2_KBu.htm
Walker, M. C. Johnston & C. Boyce, Evidence of history: Melbourne Western Region Heritage
Study, Melbourne Western Region Commission, 1986
Ward, A. Werribee Growth Area Heritage Study, City of Werribee & Heritage Branch, Dept. of
Planning and Urban Growth, 1990
Ward, Andrew, Werribee Heritage Study, 1990 on Section 22, Lot C, Parish of Tarneit.
Werribee Park Metropolitan Park Conservation Analysis, 1985
Wiliewonka on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/87791108@N00/2225961012/)
Willingham, Allan The Dry Stone Walls in the Corangamite Region: A Brief History, in
Corangamite Arts Council Inc, If These Walls Could Talk, Report of the Corangamite Dry Stone
Walls Conservation Project, Terang, 1995
Wixted, David, Wyndham North Heritage Strategy, heritage ALLIANCE, 2013
Wynd, Ian , So fine a country : a history of the Shire of Corio. 1981
Wyndham City Council Landscape Context Guidelines, 2013
Wyndham City Libraries, Cobbledicks Ford and Reserve, Cobbledicks Ford Road, Tarneit,
Wyndham History, accessed February 4, 2014,
Wyndham City Libraries, Evans house (former), 725 Boundary Road, Truganina, Wyndham
History, accessed February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/440.
Wyndham City Libraries, Eynesbury Homestead, Eynesbury Road, Eynesbury, Wyndham History,
accessed March 3, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/278.
Wyndham City Libraries, Hegarty's house, Ballan Road (SE corner Edgar Street), Werribee,
Wyndham City Libraries, Little River farmers common Edgars Road (east side), Little River,
Wyndham City Libraries, May Farm, 485 Dohertys Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
Wyndham City Libraries, Robertson farm complex, Dohertys Road, Truganina, Wyndham
History, accessed February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/441.
Wyndham City Libraries, Skeleton Creek Water Reserve, Leakes Road (north side of creek),
Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed May 13, 2014,
Wyndham City Libraries, Truganina Township and Cemetery, Dohertys Road (corner Woods
Road), Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4, 2014,
http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/985. Geo. F. Green in his 1935 publication A
brief history of Truganina from the coming of the white man to 1935
Wyndham City Libraries, Werribee Park, Princes Highway, Werribee, Wyndham History,
Wyndham City Libraries, Wine Cellars, Skeleton Creek, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
Wyndham City Libraries, histories of local heritage eplaces,

http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au
Wyndham, our story, 2013 Wyndham City Council,

ht t p:/ / w w w .w yndham hist or y.net .au/ it em s/ show / 729
Maps
1:100000 Topographic Map Melbourne Sheet 7822 Edition 1, 1984.
1:25000 Topographic Map Series Sydenham West.
Army Ordnance Survey, Melbourne, 1" to I mile map sheet, 1933. Army Ordnance Map, 1917.
County of Bourke Atlas 1892, Victorian Shire Map Company
Geological Survey of Victoria Sheet No. 8, 1860.
Ordnance Survey Plans, Melbourne and Sunbury Sheets. 1917, 1933.
Parish of Tarneit, Plan no. T24(3), 1959.
Parish of Truganina, County of Bourke, Crown Lands Victoria 1858.
Parish of Werribee, Central Plans Office
Plan of the Parish of Tarneit,' Dept. of Lands & Survey, Melb., 29 Sept. 1873
Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), County of Bourke Thomas Widge (Wedge?), Contract Surveyor,
Oct 3rd 1853 ; photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey Melbourne by J.
Noone 29. 9. 73.
Site for a public park gazetted. 5 acres, 1 rod, 32 perches. 1890 - Rothwell (Little River), allotment
39 of suburban section 1. County Grant. Parish Bulban. Township Rothwell.
Subdivisional Sale of Freehold Eynesbury, 30 Nov. 1935. (Shows Cobbledicks Homestead block in
Crown Allotment A .Section XX, Parish of Werribee.)
Subdivisional sale, the Truganina Stud Farm, the property of the late Mr John Robertson, situated
in the parishes of Truganina and Tarneit, about 16 miles from Melbourne "To be sold 15th
November, 1905. State Library Victoria, Vale collection, http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/164997
Suburban & country lands in the Parishes of Mambourin and Cocoroc, County of Grant
Victoria. Department of Crown Lands and Survey. Werribee, County of Grant [cartographic
material] 1880. MAP RM 2741/316.
New spaper s
Cazalys Contractor Reporter

Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer
News of the Week
The Argus
The Australasian
The Australian Town and Country Journal, N.S.W
The Bacchus Marsh Express
The Horsham Times
The Melton Express
The Quarterly Journal of Agriculture
The Sydney Morning
Werribee Shire Banner
Williamstown Chronicle
Wodonga and Towong Sentinel
Appendices
Appendix 1 Project Brief
ANNEXURE to the Australian Standard General PART C

Conditions of Contract for Engagement of Consultants
Dry Stone Wall Study

Project brief
(Contract No. Q1616/13)
PROJECT NAME
Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study
AIM
Council seeks the services of a qualified heritage consultant in conducting a comprehensive study of all dry stone
walls in the municipality, including mapping and analysis of their significance. The Study results will provide
guidance to land holders in the management of the identified walls, through recommendations for retention and the
development of appropriate planning controls and guidelines.
BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
Basalt dry stone walls are an important feature of the Western volcanic plains. Early European settlers grew crops
in the fertile soil, and cleared the land for agriculture, using the cleared volcanic rocks to construct dry stone walls
to define their property boundaries, build stock enclosures, garden walls, dam walls and wells. The walls provide
evidence of the artisan skills portrayed by these Anglo Celtic and European migrants.
The values of dry stone walls also extend beyond physical and cultural values. The walls act as barriers against
fires and offer protection from the elements, whilst providing an ideal habitat for small fauna and flora such as
lichens, and the nationally significant species of Striped Legless Lizard. The aesthetic qualities and strong
sculptural forms of the walls create visual definition and picturesque qualities within the landscape.
The City of Wyndham is experiencing rapid population growth, which is impacting on the landscape values of
previously rural land. Changes in the operation of farms since the 19th century, in addition to rresidential and
industrial growth, are placing pressure on the remaining dry stone walls in the municipality.
Council is required to balance the needs of population growth, with the limitations set out by existing sites of
cultural and heritage significance. The municipality currently has no means to protect the walls within with
Wyndham Planning Scheme. Recommendation for a comprehensive study of all dry stone walls have been made
in the following related strategic documents: Wyndham North Heritage Strategy (2013)- Heritage Alliance,
Landscape Context Guidelines (2013)- Ainley Projects/Jill Orr Landscape Architects, and Planning Panel Victoria
recommendations of Planning Scheme Amendment C86 (local heritage sites).
The Study results will be used to meet the objectives of Councils Vision for Heritage in Councils Quality
Community Plan, and Local Planning Policy in the Wyndham Planning Scheme in recognising, building public
awareness and appreciation, and encouraging retention and enhancement of Wyndhams archaeological and
architectural heritage.
Describe affected land

All land in the municipality
PROJECT SCOPE
The Study will assist Council in conserving and promoting dry stone walls within Council and to the community.
The Study will map and identify all remaining dry stone walls and assess their significance, and ensure that
Council is better placed to manage and protect the heritage values of Wyndham.
The Study must be consistent with Councils objectives relating to heritage conservation contained within the
Wyndham Planning Scheme, and be supported by the policy direction and values contained within the Melbourne
Metropolitan Strategy.
DELIVERABLES
The project will involve the following:
STAGE 1
Review; Desktop Study

Review of literature, heritage studies, archival sources (e.g. historic maps and aerial photos) and any previous
heritage assessments which are relevant to the study area. Relevant documents to be considered (but not
limited to) include:
o Context Pty Ltd City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997
o Peter Andrew Barrett City of Wyndham - Review of Heritage Sites of Local Significance (August 2004)
o Gary Vines Built to Last: an historical and archaeological survey of dry stone walls in Melbournes western
region (1990)
o City of Melton Melton Dry Stone Wall Study
o Andrew Ward and Associates Werribee Growth Areas Heritage Report (1990)
o Corangamite Arts Council If these walls could talk- Report of the Corangamite Dry Stone Walls
Conservation Project (1995)
o Planning Panel Victoria recommendations Planning Scheme Amendment C86 (local heritage sites).
o Heritage Alliance Wyndham North Heritage Strategy (2013)
Review of previously identified dry stone walls, and walls highlighted by interest groups, or included on the
Heritage Inventory or Heritage Register
Review of aerial and satellite images, historical mapping (e.g. 1916 and 1933 army ordnance maps)
Review of current Council policies and relevant legislation which may require changes to the Wyndham
Planning Scheme or planning tools, as a result of the project
Mapping, Field work

- GIS/GPS program development
- Site visits to photograph, identify and document dry stone walls worthy of future conservation
- Identification of potential links, corridors or precincts
- Preparation of mapping clearly depicting the location of identified dry stone walls
- Preparation of Planning Scheme base map(s) showing the location of all places identified to be of potential
cultural significance, marked with a polygon. Base maps are to be provided with road names and property /
house numbers where available
- HERMES database populated with a separate data entry for each place of potential significance
Consultation
- Consult with relevant stakeholders: Dry Stone Wall Association, community/affected land holders, local
historical interest groups, Heritage Victoria, VicRoads, DSE, GAA, Melton CC, Greater Geelong CC, Brimbank
CC, and any other relevant authorities, as necessary.
Initial meeting/workshop with Planning Policy representative, GIS Department representative, Reference
Group members to establish project parameters
- Refer back to Reference Group/Steering Committee: City Presentation, Strategic Planning, Engineering
Services, Transport Planning, Environment, Risk Management, Asset Maintenance and any other relevant
stakeholder groups. Incorporate Group and Community feedback where feasible.
Other
- Preparation of findings in draft Stage 1 report.
- Conduct a peer review with Heritage Victoria to review the preliminary findings of Stage 1 of the study
STAGE 2
Determining criteria
- Assess dry stone walls identified as being worthy of future conservation. Assessment Criteria to include:
o Burra Charter
o Aesthetic significance (wall itself and landscape setting)
o Historical significance
o Technical/Scientific significance
o Social significance
o Condition and integrity
o Rarity
o Representativeness
o Assessing Individual Walls and Cultural Landscapes
- Precise identification, description and location of wall using referred methodology Melton Dry Stone Wall
Study, City of Melton
Recommendations
- Prepare Statements of Significance and citations in a format recommended by Heritage Victoria, and enabling
inclusion into HERMES, Heritage Inventory and Heritage Register databases.
- Make recommendations for the conservation of identified dry stone walls, including recommendations on
management techniques and appropriate buffers/curtilage to development, including roads, restrictions on
nearby works, appropriate reconstruction methods,
- Preparation of guidelines for: demolition, landscaping, fencing, subdivision, cuttings, engineering works,
farming, conservation works and repair, maintenance
- Prepare recommendations on appropriate statutory controls.
For those places recommended for inclusion in a Schedule to a Heritage or Significant Landscape Overlay,
the consultant is to complete a draft Schedule. Where heritage areas are identified (e.g. precincts,
landscapes, complexes, multiple properties etc.), the boundaries of each area shall be identified on a map(s)
for potential inclusion by the council in a Local Planning Policy or Schedule to an Overlay. All significant
places and contributory elements within the heritage area shall be shown on this map(s).
- Specific objectives and policies for the conservation of the area and significant elements within the area shall
be provided in a format which is suitable for ultimate inclusion in either a Local Heritage Policy at Clause 22 of
the planning scheme, an Incorporated Plan or in a Schedule to an Overlay.
- Recommendation of walls to be included within relevant controls (Overlay) in the Wyndham Planning Scheme,
inclusion on Victorian Heritage Register, Victorian Heritage Inventory, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register, or
other recommendation
Other
- Produce a brochure (in conjunction with Councils Communications and Events Department) to enhance the
cultural and heritage tourism potential of walls in the region
- Follow up work/changes to final report as required by Council
- Preparation of final Report.
METHODOLOGY
- The heritage study is to be prepared in accordance with the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, 1999 and its
Guidelines. All terminology shall be consistent with the Burra Charter for definitions of words that appear
regularly in this brief).
- The values to be used in the identification and assessment of places are historic, scientific, aesthetic, social
and spiritual values (as articulated in the Burra Charter). Where a place of potential cultural heritage
significance is identified, a coherent and coordinated assessment against the HERCON criteria is required.
Thresholds applied in the assessment of places shall include State Significance and Local Significance.
Local significance includes those places that are important to a particular community or locality.
- The consultant is required to use Victorias Framework of Historical Themes in preparing the study.
- The consultant is to refer to the Guidelines for Thematic Environmental Histories in preparing the Thematic
Environmental History
- The consultant is to refer to Heritage Victorias Guidelines for Assessing Landscapes with Cultural Heritage
Significance when assessing cultural landscapes.
- Statements of Significance are to be prepared using the Heritage Victoria format of What is Significant?; How
is it significant? and Why is it significant?
- Opportunities are to be provided for local communities, community groups (such as historical societies) and
interested individuals to assist with the identification of potential places of significance
- Prepare Statements of Significance and citations, in a format recommended by Heritage Victoria, and enabling
inclusion into HERMES, Heritage Inventory and Heritage Register databases.
Consultant requirements
- GIS mapping skills, including GPS skills/knowledge
- HERMES skills/knowledge
- Dry stone wall study experience/knowledge/qualifications
- Implementation of referred methodology Melton Dry Stone Wall Study, City of Melton utilised in dry stone
wall mapping project for Melton City Council
PROJECT REPORT
General
Without limiting the information to be provided by the Consultant, the final Project Report shall contain the following
information:
Executive Summary and Recommendations;
Study Objectives and Methodology;
Consultative process and data analysis;
Policy requirements and Context;
Detailed Cost estimates;
Report on Findings and Recommendations;
Appendices containing data collected and Statements of Significance
Format
The Consultant shall prepare the report using Microsoft Office Suite and in a format approved by Council and
submit the final report as follows:
- One double sided A4 loose-leaf copy suitable for black and white reproduction;
- Three bound double sided A4 copies; and
- One electronic copy in Microsoft Office Suite file formats.
The consultant shall prepare Statements of Significance and citations, in a format recommended by Heritage
Victoria, and enabling inclusion into HERMES, Heritage Inventory and Heritage Register databases.
Progress Reporting and Meetings

The Consultant shall:
- Provide a project plan and regular progress updates as to:
- The achievement of milestones and timelines specified by the Program and Timetable;
- The use and expected allocation of Council resources; and
- Any critical decisions, factors or circumstances which may influence the performance of the
Services.
- Attend an initial meeting/workshop with Planning Policy representative, GIS Department representative, and
Reference Group members to establish project parameters
- Present findings to Reference Group/Steering Committee, Heritage Victoria and Council (end of each Stage)
- The Consultant shall also attend any additional public meeting, should any be called, during the community
and stakeholder consultation process.
DATE OF INITIATION
June 2013
DELIVERY DATE
May 2014
Appendix 2 Assessment of heritage significance
In t r odu ct ion
Assessing the significance of a cultural heritage place is undertaken to make decisions about the
best way to protect and manage that particular heritage place. The category and significance of a
heritage place will also determine if it is to be given statutory protection. The statutory issues
that affect heritage places are discussed in detail in Appendix 2.
Places that are assessed as having National heritage significance can be added to the
Commonwealth Register of the National Estate, those of State significance to the Victorian
Heritage Register. Aboriginal Affairs Victoria maintains a register of known Aboriginal sites, and
Heritage Victoria lists all known historical archaeological sites on the Victorian Heritage Inventory.
A heritage place can also be protected under a planning scheme administered by local
government. The National Trust maintains a list of significant heritage places, and local historical
societies and Aboriginal communities will often have substantial knowledge about local heritage
places.
Assessment of the significance of a heritage place can be complex and include a range of
heritage values. The cultural heritage values of a site or place are broadly defined in the Burra
Charter the set of guidelines on cultural heritage management and practice prepared by
Australia ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) as the aesthetic, historic,
scientific or social values for past, present or future generations (Marquis-Kyle and Walker 1992:
21). Various government agencies, including the Australian Heritage Commission and Heritage
Victoria, have developed formal criteria for assessing heritage significance. These have been
included at the end of this appendix and used in this report as applicable. Many Aboriginal sites
also have significance to a specific Aboriginal community this is discussed in a separate section
below.
The primary criterion used to assess archaeological sites is scient ific significance. This is based
on the capacity of archaeological relics and sites to provide us with historical, cultural or social
information. The following evaluation will assess the scientific significance of the archaeological
sites recorded during this project. The scient ific significance assessm ent methodology
outlined below is based on scores for research potential (divided into site contents and site
condition) and for representativeness. This system is refined and derived from Bowdler (1981)
and Sullivan and Bowdler (1984).
Cr it er ia f or sign ifican ce assessm en t ar ch aeological sit es
i) Scien t i f ic sign if ican ce assessm en t : h i st or ical ar ch aeological sit es an d Abor i gin al

ar t ef act scat t er s an d isolat ed ar t ef act s
Scientific significance is assessed by examining the research potential and representativeness of
archaeological sites.
Resear ch pot ent ial is assessed by examining site contents and site condition. Site contents refers
to all cultural materials and organic remains associated with human activity at a site. Site
contents also refers to the site structure the size of the site, the patterning of cultural materials
within the site, the presence of any stratified deposits and the rarity of particular artefact types.
As the site contents criterion is not applicable to scarred trees, the assessment of scarred trees is
outlined separately below. Site condition refers to the degree of disturbance to the contents of a
site at the time it was recorded.
The site contents ratings used for archaeological sites are:
0 No cultural material remaining.
1 Site contains a small number (e.g. 010 artefacts) or limited range of

cultural materials with no evident stratification.
2 Site contains:
(a) a larger number, but limited range of cultural materials; and/or
(b) some intact stratified deposit remains; and/or
(c) rare or unusual example(s) of a particular artefact type.
3 Site contains:
(a) a large number and diverse range of cultural materials; and/or
(b) largely intact stratified deposit; and/or
(c) surface spatial patterning of cultural materials that still reflect the
way in which the cultural materials were deposited.
The site condition ratings used for archaeological sites are:
0 Site destroyed.
1 Site in a deteriorated condition with a high degree of disturbance; some

cultural materials remaining.
2 Site in a fair to good condition, but with some disturbance.
3 Site in an excellent condition with little or no disturbance. For surface

artefact scatters this may mean that the spatial patterning of cultural
materials still reflects the way in which the cultural materials were laid
down.
Repr esent at iveness refers to the regional distribution of a particular site type.
Representativeness is assessed by whether the site is common, occasional, or rare in a given
region. Assessments of representativeness are subjectively biased by current knowledge of the
distribution and number of archaeological sites in a region. This varies from place to place
depending on the extent of archaeological research. Consequently, a site that is assigned low
significance values for contents and condition, but a high significance value for
representativeness, can only be regarded as significant in terms of knowledge of the regional
archaeology. Any such site should be subject to re-assessment as more archaeological research
is undertaken.
Assessment of representativeness also takes into account the contents and condition of a site.
For example, in any region there may only be a limited number of sites of any type that have
suffered minimal disturbance. Such sites would therefore be given a high significance rating for
representativeness, although they may occur commonly within the region.
The representativeness ratings used for archaeological sites are:
1 common occurrence
2 occasional occurrence
3 rare occurrence
Over all scient ific significance ratings for sites, based on a cumulative score for site contents,
site integrity and representativeness are:
1-3 low scientific significance
4-6 moderate scientific significance
7-8 high scientific significance
ii) Sci en t i f ic si gn i f ican ce assessm en t : scar r ed t r ees

The scientific significance assessment for scarred trees varies from the significance assessment
outlined above because a scarred tree has no site contents rating (a tree either is, or is not, a
scarred tree). Although scarred trees are a site type usually associated with traditional Aboriginal
cultural activity, there are examples of scarred trees associated with non-Aboriginal activity
(survey blazes for example).
The site condition ratings used for scarred trees are:
1 poorly preserved tree scar
2 partly preserved tree scar
3 well preserved example of a scarred tree
Representativeness refers to the regional distribution of scarred trees. Representativeness is

assessed on whether the site is common, occasional or rare in a given region.
Representativeness should take into account the type and condition of the scar(s)/tree (the tree
will be in: good health, poor health, dying, dead-standing, dead-on ground or destroyed) and the
tree species involved.
The representativeness ratings used for scarred trees are:
0 common occurrence
1 occasional occurrence
2 rare occurrence
Over all scient ific significance ratings for scarred tree sites based on a cumulative score for site
condition and representativeness are:
1-3 low scientific significance
4-6 moderate scientific significance
7-9 high scientific significance
Hist or ical Sit es Cu lt u r al Her it age Sign if ican ce
CRITERION A. The historical importance, association with or relationship to Victorias history of
the place or object.
CRITERION B. The importance of a place or object in demonstrating rarity or uniqueness.
CRITERION C. The place or objects potential to educate, illustrate or provide further scientific
investigation in relation to Victorias cultural heritage.
CRITERION D. The importance of a place or object in exhibiting the principal characteristics or

the representative nature of a place or object as part of a class or type of places or objects.
CRITERION E. The importance of the place or object in exhibiting good design or aesthetic
characteristics and/or in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration of features.
CRITERION F. The importance of the place or object in demonstrating or being associated with
scientific or technical innovations or achievements.
CRITERION G. The importance of the place or object in demonstrating social or cultural

associations.
Appendix 3 Summary of statutory regulations
Hist or ical Sit es
i) Vict or ian cu lt u r al h er it age l egislat ion

The Heritage Act 1995 details statutory responsibilities for historic buildings and gardens, historic
places and objects, historical archaeological sites, and historic shipwrecks. These responsibilities
are set out in Part 1 of the Act, which states that one of the main purposes of the Act is to:
provide for the protection and conservation of places and objects of cultural heritage significance
and the registration of such places and objects. The Act is administered by Heritage Victoria, part
of the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The Act establishes the Heritage Council, a
ten-member, independent statutory authority. The Heritage Council determines which heritage
places are included on the Victorian Heritage Register and acts as an appeal body.
Th e Vict or ian Her it age Regi st er

The Victorian Heritage Register was established pursuant to Section 18 of the Heritage Act 1995.
Heritage places included on the Heritage Register are places assessed as having cultural heritage
significance at a State level. For a place to be added to the Victorian Heritage Register a
nomination must be made to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will review
nominations and make recommendations to the Heritage Council for inclusion on the Victorian
Heritage Register. All recommendations are advertised in a relevant newspaper and the owners
or any party with a substantial interest in the heritage place or object can make a submission to
the Heritage Council.
A permit may be required for particular works or activities in relation to a registered place or
object. Permit applications must be submitted to the Executive Director who will consider the
application and determine the matter. Should the applicant or owner object to the decision of
the Executive Director, an appeal can be made to the Heritage Council.
Th e Her i t age In v en t or y
The Heritage Inventory was established pursuant to Section 120 of the Heritage Act 1995. The
Heritage Inventory includes historical archaeological sites, places and relics in Victoria, providing
they are older than 50 years, and regardless of their level of cultural heritage significance.
A Consent will be required for particular works or activities, including excavation, in relation to an
archaeological site. Under the Heritage Act it is an offence to damage or disturb relics and
archaeological sites, whether or not they have been included on the Heritage Inventory, without
obtaining the appropriate permission from the Executive Director.
Con sen t s an d Per m it s

Depending on whether a place/site is listed on the Heritage Register or the Heritage Inventory,
any proposed works will require the submission of an application for either a Permit (Heritage
Register) or a Consent (Heritage Inventory). If an archaeological site has been added to the
Heritage Register, this will take precedence: a Permit will be required, but not a Consent. In
summary:
A Permit is required if the site is on the Heritage Register. The assessment of the Permit
application will be guided by its heritage status as a site of State significance.
A Consent is required if the site is on the Heritage Inventory (and not on the Heritage
Register). The assessment of the Consent application will be guided by the significance
and integrity of the site.
Applications for Consents or Permits should be accompanied by a cheque for the prescribed fee.
The cheque should be payable to the Her it age Council. The fees payable for particular classes
of work are advised in Schedule 3 (Permits) or Schedule 5 (Consents) of Heritage (General)
Regulations 1996 (Statutory Rule No. 85/1996). The application should be made on the appropriate
form and sent to:
Executive Director
Heritage Victoria
1 Spring Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
General queries relating to either Consent or Permit applications can be directed to:
Permits Co-ordinator
Heritage Victoria
1 Spring Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

Ph:(03) 9637 9475
Fax:(03) 9637 9503
Consultation relating to the Heritage Inventory and to historical archaeological sites should be
conducted with Heritage Victoria archaeology officers, contact details as above.
Consultation and discussion with Heritage Victoria should be initiated well before lodging an
application for a Consent or Permit to disturb or destroy a historical archaeological site.
Plan n in g an d En v ir on m en t Act 1987

The Victorian Planning and Environment Act provides local governments with the power to
implement heritage controls over significant buildings or places. Heritage and conservation
areas and heritage places both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal can be identified and listed on a
particular local planning scheme (usually through inclusion in the Heritage Overlay), and
protected as places of heritage significance. A planning permit may be required from the local
council if a place is subject to a heritage overlay control or is individually listed in the planning
scheme. It is advisable to check with the relevant local council to determine if any additional
permits are required.
En v ir on m en t Ef f ect s Act 1978 an d Am en dm en t Act 1994

The Victorian Environment Effects Act may have relevance with certain projects as it requires
some development proposals to be assessed for their possible impact on the environment. The
definition of environment includes the cultural heritage of the project area.
ii) Com m on w eal t h legi sl at ion
En v ir on m en t al Pr ot ect i on an d Bi odiv er si t y Con ser v at i on Act 1999 (EPBC Act )

The Commonwealth Australian Heritage Commission Act was recently repealed and in its place
amendments to the EPBC Act and the provision of an Australian Heritage Council have also been
made in new legislation.
Under the EPBC Act Amendments (No 88, 2003) two mechanisms have been created for
protection of heritage places of Commonwealth or National significance. Initially places in
Commonwealth ownership may be placed on the Commonwealth list with similar protection
measures as under the previous AHC act. In addition the National list provides protection to
places of cultural significance to Australia. By law, no one can take any action that has, will have,
or is likely to have, a significant impact on any places of national heritage value, without approval.
Such actions must be referred to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and
Heritage.
Abor igin al Sit es
i) Vict or ian Abor i gin al cu lt u r al h er i t age l egi slat ion
Vict or ian Abor igin al Her it age Act 2006

In 2006 the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 was enacted on the 28th May 2007. This new
Act replaced Part IIA of the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage
Protection Act 1984 and the State Archaeological and Aboriginal Relics Preservation Act
1972. From this date Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria is protected through the Aboriginal
Heritage Act 2006 and the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2009 (Amended 28 May 2009).
Appendix 4 Contacts & community projects
Dry st one Wallers
Alistaire Tune: AT Stonecraft in Camperdown, al_tune@hotmail.com.au,

http://incastone.vpweb.com.au/About-Us.html Contact (03) 5593 1150; 0407 832 227
Figure 109: Alistair Tune building dry stone wall at St Patrick's College Camperdown
David Long: via ISS Institute 0412 434 674
Geoff Duggan: Landscape Planning Manager at the Australian Botanic Garden NSW
Stonehedge Stonem asonry: Berry NSW 2535, 0402 406 192
info@stonehedgemasonry.com.au
Matt Savage: 0439 06 05 17 E-mail: stonesavage@hotmail.com
Paul Middleton: Ballarat, has constructed walls in his district which show a very close appearance
to traditional dry stone wall style, with a range of difficult-sized stone being employed to effect,
only minimum broken stone, some plugging for strength rather than appearance, and large
regular sized cope stones.
Figure 110: Paul Middleton of Ballarat with a traditional dry stone wall he has constructed. 255
255 http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/09/24/3855208.htm
Prof essional organisat ions
Sout h West TAFEs Glenor m ist on College, Glenormiston Road, Terang VIC 3264
http://www.issinstitute.org.au/events/?event_id=12#sthash.bF2Yre4J.dpuf One day short Courses
carried out on weekends
ISS In st it u t e provides training and has contacts - info@issinstitute.org.au Level 1, 189

Faraday Street Carlton, Victoria 3053, 03 9347 4583
http://www.issinstitute.org.au/contact/#sthash.gDMHmQ3n.dpuf
http://www.issinstitute.org.au/events/?event_id=12
Dr y St one Walling Associat ion of Aust r alia runs workshops (with David Long) and is in the
process of developing a database of dry stone walls and structures.
http://www.dswaa.org.au/index.php/wallers; Contact Jim Holdsworth
jim@planningcollaborative.com.au. 0417 64 8218. secretary - Sue Jones, PO Box 22, Little River
VIC. advocacy@dswaa.org.auran
Dr y St one Walling Associat ion (DSWA) UK specifications may be of assistance:
Technical specifications for dry stone walls

http://www.dswales.org.uk/files/TechSpec_for_DSW[1].pdf
Technical specifications for simple retaining walls

http://www.dswales.org.uk/files/TechSpec_for_retaining_walls[1].pdf
Individual landow ners & resident s
Frances Overmars, Pinkerton Landcare and Environment Group
Les Sanderson & Peter Jones, Little River historical Society
Lance Pritchard, Werribee Historical Society Werribee Historical Society
Bill Strong, Werribee Heritage Recovery Inc
John Kilpatrick, Wyndham Vale
Ot her st udies and w orkshops
Warwick Mayne-Wilson warwick@maynewilson.com.au, who undertook the Kiama study he

explained that the project did not produce a report, but contact with council could be made
through council
Josie Black was instrumental in the Corangamite Arts Council projects but she died not long ago,
however I think Andrew Miller is still active in that group. A special stone wall was constructed in
her honour recently http://www.standard.net.au/story/1775463/memorial-to-be-set-in-stone/
A recent contact at is Mark Corrie Western BACE Project Coordinator, Melton city Council 9747
5361, who has a proposal to restore a section of dry stone wall as a community project.
Context undertook a reconstruction project on Plenty Road South Morang City of Whittlesea -
http://contextpl.com.au/projects-services/project/plenty-road-drystone-wall/ this involved a
section of wall being rebuilt I think by a professional waller.
There was another Dry Stone Wall workshop (run by David Long) at the Warrnambool
Community Garden www.drystonewallingaustralia.com, 0429 928 511.
The stony rises project involved a number of community art projects which incorporated dry
stone wall themes http://www.netsvictoria.org.au/assets/services/pdf/Stony-Risesexhibition-
description.pdf Georgia Cribb Director, NETS Victoria C/- The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia PO
Box 7259 Melbourne Victoria 8004 Fax: +61 3 8662 1575
An interesting exercise is documented by the Gooralong Brook Green Corps, who first built a dry
stone wall, then rebuilt it as a mortared wall. http://www.greenskills.org.au/pub/gs20/gs20-3.html
Geoff Duggan Landscape Planning Manager at the Australian Botanic Garden NSW also runs dry
stone walling training courses
http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/annan/tours_and_education_programs/dry_stone_walls
Melton Council ran a dry stone wall workshop a couple of years ago, Sera Jane Peters
serajanep@melton.vic.gov.au might know the details.
Appendix 5 Walls recorded in Vines 1990 Study
Appendix 6 Maps of all dry stone walls in the City
of Wyndham
Appendix 7 Spreadsheet of all recorded dry stone
walls
Appendix 8 Amended and new Heritage Overlay
place citations
The following citations are proposed for additions to the Wyndham Heritage Overlay. These
include places where associated dry stone walls contribute to the significance of an existing
Heritage Overlay place. In these cases the existing HO is proposed to be extended to incorporate
associated dry stone walls and in some instances the areas of land between the walls. In cases
where linear sections of wall are proposed to be included, the extent is taken to be five metres
wide centred on the wall.
Amended and enlarged Heritage Overlays are proposed for nine places as follows:

HO38 Missen's farm
HO9 Peppercorns
HO10 Volant house
HO53 Mouyong
and four new heritage overlays are proposed:

Ballan Road walls
Melbourne Road Walls
The citations have been adapted and amended from previous heritage studies including Heritage
of the City of Wyndham, Volume 2: Heritage Places (Context Pty Ltd 1997); City of Wyndham -
Review of Heritage Sites of Local Significance (Peter Andrew Barrett August 2004); Werribee
Growth Areas Heritage Report (Andrew Ward and Associates 1990); and Wyndham North
Heritage Strategy (Heritage Alliance 2013).
HO28 Rober t son's Tr uganina Est at e
Location: off Derrimut Road, Tarneit S 37 48.851 E 144 42.183
Figure 111: Looking towards Robertson's Homestead site, Wall 6 on right, 306 near trees in background
History
R. Hepburn first acquired this allotment (Allotment G, Section XXII, Parish of Tarneit) of 113 acres
in 1854. It was for sale again in January 1859 when the occupier was said to be Michael
Featherstone. 256
John Robertson, a gentleman farmer keen on racehorses, appears in the rate books as leasing 51
acres of Tarneit land from John Walsh in 1869, and subsequently owned this property in his own
right as well as leasing lands in the area around Skeleton Creek. By the time of his death he
owned 1.1 acres of freehold in the area from Leakes Road to Boundary Road and on both sides
of Skeleton Creek and Woods Road. 257 For the November sale of his property in 1905, 11 parcels
of land were presented, 4 as part of a consolidated Lot 1 which included his homestead location
on allotment G. For the assistance of intending purchasers, the property was said to be found by
taking Dohertys Road west for approximately six miles and could be recognized by the Look-out
Tower thereon. 258
Accompanying the land sale was a map titled Subdivisional Sale, The Truganina Stud Farm, the
property of the late Mr. John Robertson, situated in the parishes of Truganina and Tarneit.
256 The Argus Melbourne 17 January 1859, p2.

257 The Argus, Melbourne 4 N ovember 1905, p2.
258 Parish of Tarneit, plan T24 (3); Frances Overmars: Information compiled for the present study. Place listed and
mapped on Sites of European Heritage Significance by John Todd and Frances Overmars, Truganina meeting
(29/3/96), Site no. T80; du Cros, H & Watt, P (1993) Aboriginal and European heritage study: Skeleton Creek
catchment.; Victorian Heritage Inventory H7822/0 136; Rural Heritage Study: Western Region of Melbourne (1994) -
W68
Robertson died on Saturday 24th June 1905 aged 74 at his home at 118 Lonsdale Street and the
death notice listed him as a colonist of 48 years and a native of Perth, Scotland. 259 His estate
and sale of lands was handled by a Mr. Harry Emmerton solicitor of Collins Street. He was also
listed by Emmerton as a dyer of Lonsdale Street. 260
The Horsham Times noted that he was an importer and breeder of American trotting horses. 261
The Australian Town and Country Journal also noted that he spent no end of time and money on
his favorite past-time. 262
One story, probably apocryphal, was that Robertson constructed a tower near Skeleton Creek to
watch over his flocks. This became a local landmark. It is shown on the 1917 ordnance survey and
noted by local correspondents, but is more likely related to his water supply, and perhaps as a
lookout for vanity's sake. 263 This most notable feature was said to have been 100 foot high built
of Oregon, and used by Robertson in his old age to view his racehorses. It was built by Steve
Volante, carpenter, who lived at the site of Arva in Boundary Road. This tower was demolished in
the late 1940s/early 1950s when it became unsafe. 264
John Robertson was the proprietor of an ink and dye works in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Dougald Taylor worked for Robertson and later owned the property. 265 A sale notice in
November 1905 listed the contents and goodwill of his business as being for sale by tender, that
business being the Melbourne Dye Works. 266 Robertsons Dye & Cleaning Works were advertised
in the Argus as early as January 1860.
A complex pattern of dry stone walls around the tower site suggests Robertson consolidated his
landholdings and established a sophisticated animal husbandry system based on segregating
different quality pasture and cultivation paddocks and access to the limited water supply.
The Truganina Estate was sold off in 1905, with an auction subsequently dividing up the land. By
this time the Truganina Estate had encompassed half the land between Boundary Road and
Leakes Road from Derrimut Road to east of Woods Road. At least some lots became part of
Doherty's Farm. 267 The house and associated farm buildings were destroyed by fire in 1969. 268
259 The Argus, Melbourne 26 June 1905, p1.

260 The Argus, Melbourne 17 July 1905, p3.
261 The Horsham Times, Horsham 27 June 1905, p3.
262 The Australian Town and Country Journal , N.S.W. 5 July 1905, p48.
263 The New Deal. (1936, September 25). Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic.: 1885 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved September
9, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69627823
264 Frances Overmars quoted in Quoted in Heritage of the City of Wyndham 1997, Context Pty Ltd p 154.
265 Wyndham City Libraries, Robertson farm complex, Dohertys Road, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed
266 The Argus, Melbourne, 13 November 1905, p2.
267 "Advertising." The Bacchus Marsh Express 4 Nov 1905: 2. Web. 4 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90165924>.
Figure 112: Auction poster for Truganina Stud Farm 269
Themes: 2 .2 Pastoralists 4.1 Novel industries
Description
The site is accessed from a gravel track on Derrimut road but the centre of the farmhouse site is
some 730m to the east of the entrance. The homestead paddock, located on a low crest east of
Hopkins Road, is enclosed by a 900mm high drystone wall in a near square shape with sides of
some 155m. Set within this walled garden of peppercorns and sugar gums are the remains of a
bluestone house and several other features. The five roomed house, with central entry, is built of
coursed bluestone with tooled sills to windows. The remnants of the slate roof have collapsed
into the building. The windows on the main facade are full-length. A bluestone flagged path leads
to the back door. The building has lost most of its roof and some walls have collapsed.
Other site features include a large brick-lined well and the remains of a bluestone building set
into the ground (or cellar of a larger building), cobblestone pathways, a late 20th century
greenhouse and stock loading race.
The footings of a timber tower are also on this site. Some later elements of the site are also
evident such as a concrete slab, wire fencing and timber gate ways. Trees within the dry stone
wall area include sugar gums and peppercorns. Beyond are open farmed grasslands as well as
dams, water tanks and a windmill. The house and associated buildings were destroyed by fire in
1969.
The dry stone walls are of varying quality and integrity, but as a whole are significant in
demonstrating the importance of water management some separate stock from waterholes, or
direct stock to watering points. The wall along Skeleton Creek alternates on earthier side of the
of Truganina and Tarneit, about 16 miles from Melbourne "To be sold 15th N ovember, 1905".. State Library Victoria,
Vale collection, http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/164997
watercourse to ensure access to stock to water. The angled wall and enclosure near the well and
waterhole was for directing stock to the creek. In each case the purpose is to control how stock
were watered and reduce the fouling of the limited water supply. The walls radiating from the
homestead paddocks were part of a common practice of managing stock rotation through
paddocks.
Nearby, outside the drystone wall, there is a stone-faced dam on Skeleton Creek and stone-lined
outlet to the creek and a stone-lined well nearby.270 This last is a highly unusual feature as wells
were rarely excavated through the basalt the only other known example I the region is at
Ravenhall.
Figure 113: Intact section of full height wall 306 near Robertson's Homestead
Walls considered appropriate for inclusion in an expanded HO28 "Robertson's Truganina Estate"
include those numbered as follows: 2 (part), 4 (part), 5 (part), 6, 7, 29, 302, 306, 834, 835, 836, 990,
1006, 1007 & 1008, which offer potential for reconstruction.
Only the first 50m of walls 4 (extending west from the homestead paddock) and 5 (extending east
from wall 836 on Skeleton Creek) are included in the overlay, while wall 2 is included from wall 7
westward to the junction with wall 3.
WallID Source Extant Significance Structure PARCEL_PFI Nearest named road

2 1917 Army Survey Y C 3 21448 Derrimut Rd
4 1917 Army Survey Y D 3 53040322 Unnamed
5 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 53040319 Woods Rd
6 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 53040322 Unnamed
7 1917 Army Survey Y A 3 53040322 Unnamed
29 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 53040321 Dohertys Rd
270 This includes walls described in the C175-177 panel and Frances Overmars.
302 1933 Army Survey Y A 1 203377617 Boundary Rd
306 1933 Army Survey Y A 3 53040322 Unnamed
834 GV Y B 3 53040319 Boundary Rd
835 GV Y A 3 1778951 Unnamed
836 GV Y A 3 53040320 Unnamed
838 1917 Army Survey Y D 3 53040319 Dohertys Rd
990 1917 Army Survey Y D 3 53040319 Unnamed
991 GV Y C 3 1778951 Unnamed
1006 GV Y D 3 21448 Dohertys Rd
1008 GV Y D 3 21448 Unnamed
Statement of Significance:
The heritage significance is as defined by Context Pty Ltd and Heritage Alliance and amended here.
What is of significance?
The Truganina Estate, otherwise known as The Truganina Stud Farm, Taylors or The Tower is
the site of John Robertsons homestead and Trotting Complex. Robertson was one of the very few
gentlemen farmers in the area from around 1870 1900, and became a substantial land holder
gradually purchasing the failed sections along Skeleton Creek. The site featured a fine bluestone
residence, garden, outbuildings, stone yards, dry stone walls around the farm paddocks, a ford,
stone-lined dam, and the footings of a large timber viewing tower.
The majority of structures were destroyed by the fires in 1969, however substantial ruins,
footings, dry stone surrounding walls, artefact scatters and other fabric survives relatively intact.
The Robertson Truganina Estate walls are associated with the existing Heritage Overlay Place
HO28. A previously proposed HO120, covering the Woods Road property has not been
proceeded with. Also, the Wesleyan Chapel site on Skeleton Creek at Boundary Road is proposed
for inclusion in a separate Heritage Overlay.
How is it significant?
The Robertson Farm Complex is of historic, archaeological and architectural significance to the
City of Wyndham.
Why is it of Significance?
The remains of the Robertson Farm Complex are of historical significance as representing a rare
example of a substantial farming and racing complex (although evidence of the latter is not
visible) which was more substantial and finely finished than other farming complexes in the area
from the period (Criterion B & Criterion F).
The property may also be considered to be significant because of its unusual history as an
enterprise by a gentleman farmer John Robertson, and the retention of many of the features that
relate to this period of occupation. Robertson used the property as his residence, to support his
hobby, as a pastoral enterprise and often held community events there.
It is of further historical significance for its association with John Robertson, an important local
figure, entrepreneur and gentleman farmer, who is uniquely associated with the fabric of the site
particularly that of the unique timber tower, an unusual and rare example of such a structure
beyond commercial racetracks (although now demolished). There is also strong evidence of the
connection between John Robertson and the place through oral traditions and history, local
histories and the colloquial naming of the place. Robertson has importance in his own right as a
successful businessman in early Melbourne through his forty-five year old business The
Melbourne Dye Works of Lonsdale Street which commenced operation around 1860. (Criterion
H).
Of local significance as an unusual enterprise established by gentleman farmer John Robertson,

and retaining features from his enterprise (with the landmark tower gone many years ago).
The Tr uganina Est at e w alls are significant for their association with John Robertson and his
efforts at pasture improvement, horse breeding and stock management. The walls reflect the
difficulties of farming in a low rainfall area with unreliable water supplies. The complex pattern of
walls is the more significant element, indicating just how livestock was managed, with walls
directing and restricting access to the creek, water holes, and supplementary watering such as
the stone lined well adjacent to the creek, the house paddock, and presumably the dry stone
walls around it, are included in the Wyndham Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay (HO28).
(Criterion B & Criterion F).
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Heritage Overlay be extended to include the dry stone walls
extending from the homestead paddock to the north, south and east and along Skeleton
Creek, as shown in Figure 114.
It is also recommended that the identified stone walls and other historic features are
retained and conserved.
Figure 114: HO28 Dry stone walls associated with Robertson's Truganina Estate
HO30 Vineyar d Est at e
(Previously called Leakes Cellars)
Location: north off Leakes Road, Tarneit (west side of Skeleton Creek, Truganina: Cellars S 37
49.824 E 144 42.226 Mulberry Trees - Group of 3 trees (south group) S 37 49.757 E 144 42.227
Group of 4 trees (north group) S 37 49.737 E 144.42.237
Figure 115: Wall of the wine cellar

History
Colin Campbell established a farm and vineyard on Skeleton Creek (Lot G, Section XXI, Parish of
Tarneit) having purchased this land in the sale of Crown Lands in November 1853. When he put
the land up for sale in 1862 it was described as containing a '3 room house, kitchen, dairy, fruit
trees and vines'. 271 Campbell was rated for Vines and Pasture on Skeleton Creek from about
1864 until about 1887, although he seems to have mortgaged or leased it to H. J. Langdon in the
1870s. In April 1870 the property is advertised as for sale by auction as 'The Vineyard Estate' with
a 4 room house, 14,000 vines and two cellars for preserving and storing the wine. The cellars
were listed as 66 feet x 21 feet x 17 feet high and a second cellar of 70 feet x 18 feet x 5 feet
high. 272 In the early 1870s, John Doherty briefly occupied the vineyard and farm and from 1875,
it was leased by John Robertson. Dougald Taylor, a horse breaker and later property manager on
Robertson's Truganina Estate, bought The Tower and acquired the site of the wine cellars. The
Campbell property was soon transferred to Henry Moss, an Essendon contractor, who also
271 The Argus Melbourne 20 January 1862, p2. Also later identified as a 4 room house (but this may include the
kitchen).
272 David Wixted, 2013, Wyndham N orth Heritage Strategy, heritage ALLIAN CE, cites Rate books for Wyndham
Roads Board 1868. (PROV) indicating he continued to be a rate-payer until around 1868 when his name disappears
from the rates books
owned a farm homestead on an allotment on the north side of Leakes Road. By the 1920s, the
site of Campbells wine cellars was owned by A. Morton Begg of Newport. 273
On the opposite bank of the creek is the Skeleton Waterholes stock watering reserve, established
in the initial crown survey as a place where travelling stock could be rested and watered. These
water reserves were scattered across Victoria, with most parishes having at least one. Access is
via a long drive which starts at a gate on the west side of Woods Road (north of Leakes Road).
Just south of this is a stone ruin and walled yard beside the east bank of Skeleton Creek, which
Wixted identifies as having been built by the first land purchaser George Eades, possibly as early
as 1854.
The cellars have previously been identified as being associated with William Leake, however,
there is no evidence that the site was ever owned by Leake. The evidence appears to point to
Campbells occupation as an orchardist growing fruits and vines. Leake held property adjacent
opposite and very close by Wixted notes that: William Leake senior died on 3 October 1879 274 but
an auction of his large land holdings was not advertised in The Argus until late April 1888 and then
auctioned on 8th May of that year. It included land in Newport as well as Tarneit and Truganina
totaling some 1,691 acres which was split into 8 farms mostly growing lucerne.275 None of the freehold
sites auctioned match the land on 10 The Argus Melbourne 20 January 1862, p2. Also later identified as
a 4 room house (but this may include the kitchen).which the so called Leakes Cellars is found although
he did purchase the Eade property along the north side of Leakes Road at Skeleton Creek as well as a
Campbell property, but both are located in the Parish of Truganina. Leakes original 1864 freehold
purchase on Leakes Road opposite Eades' property (a small triangular parcel known as the Three
Corner) at Skeleton Creek was also one of the properties sold. On 12 May, all the stock (cattle, horses
etc.) plus farming equipment and household effects were auctioned. William Leakes wife Rebecca pre-
deceased him in July 1873 276 aged 29. Both are buried in Truganina cemetery but Williams grave is
incorrectly dated as 1897.
Just south of this is a stone ruin and walled yard beside the east bank of Skeleton Creek, which
Wixted identifies as having been built by the first land purchaser George Eades, possibly as early
as 1854. 277
Lands around the water hole were held by John Robertson and mostly sold off in 1905 after his
death.278 Other land was owned by George Eades (lower south east along the Creek), and when
he put his land up for sale in 1877, improvements included fencing and a substantial stone wall
the base of which is likely to be the square-ish wall identified on the Heritage Inventory as H7822-
0139. He also sold horses, agricultural machinery, household goods and a lot of articles too
numerous to mention. Oddly there is no mention of a house. Eades land was sold to William
Leake and then it was re-sold at an auction of A & W Leakes land holdings in May 1888.
Themes: 4.1 Novel industries.
273 Wyndham City Libraries, Wine Cellars, Skeleton Creek, Truganina, Wyndham History, accessed February 4,
274 Williamstown Chronicle, 11 October 1879 p.2.
275 The Argus Melbourne, 7 April 1888, p17
276 14 The Argus Melbourne 28 July 1873, p8. She was buried at Truganina Cemetery.
277 Gazettal No. 3.16. Place listed and mapped on Sites of European Heritage Significance John Todd and Frances
Overmars, Truganina meeting (29/3/96), Site nos. T73. F. Overmars, unpublished notes 'Skeleton Creek waterholes'.
of Truganina and Tarneit, about 16 miles from Melbourne [cartographic material], 1905. State Library of Victoria.
Figure 116: View from the west side of Skeleton Creek.
Figure 117: Stone yards south of water reserve on east side of Skeleton Creek (photo, Bill Strong)
Description
This site was recorded by du Cros and Associates in 1993. The site is on the west embankment of
Skeleton Creek approximately opposite the official south boundary of the Water Reserve. The site
consists of two cellars, connected by a drystone wall. The small cellar is of dry-stone construction
while the larger, thought to have been two storeyed, has a mortared upper section. Overgrown
box thorn surrounds the site. They are constructed in a man-made deep depression formed in
the earth and sided on the north by a high bluestone random coursed dry stone wall. On the
south side is a lower drystone coursed wall. The earth between the walls is now higher than
original and probably contains material from the sites early occupation.
Seven mature Mulberry trees of approximately 5m high arranged in a north south line and in two
groups on the west bank of Skeleton Creek, three at the southern end of the group, four at the
north.
Peter Andrew Barrett in his research of this site indicated there was a structure in the area
around the junction of Dry and Skeleton Creeks but this was not found in a search of the area.
The base of another structure is just to its north of the cellars and south-east of the Mulberry
Trees on the bank of the Skeleton Creek. Overgrown box thorn surrounds the site, and there are
remnant mulberry trees.279
The Eades ruins and walls are on an adjoining allotment that Leake had purchased by 1877 and
incorporated into his farm.
The dry stone walls which surrounded the paddocks farmed originally by Campbell, and later by
others, form a distinctive grouping, enclosed in the shallow valley of the creek and contrasting
with the open flat landscape surrounding them. Another wall running along the creek and close
to but not precisely on the property boundary forms the boundary with the adjacent Skeleton
Creek water reserve (HO119).
A small cultural landscape with various dry stone walls in the valley of Skeleton Creek north of
Leakes Road can be discerned which includes both the Vineyard Estate (HO30) and Skeleton
Creek Water Reserve and Water Holes (HO119) along with heritage inventory places the wine
cellars (recorded as Leakes Cellars) and Eades Ruin (VHI 7822-0138 & 7822-0139). There may also
be remnants of walls which can be seen on historical plans and are not obvious on the ground
but may also have traces left (16, 22, 1044). The land between the walls is to be protected to
maintain the visual relationship between the various elements of the place.
16 1917 Army Survey N removed n/a 219710528 Unnamed
20 1917 Army Survey Y C 3 213478920 Leakes Rd
22 1917 Army Survey N Removed n/a 219710528 Leakes Rd
894 GV Y B 3 206068188 Unnamed
1044 1917 Army Survey N recent rem n/a 52475755 Unnamed
1045 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 219710528 Leakes Rd
1634 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 213472155 Leakes Rd
What is Significant?
The heritage place comprises the Vineyard Estate, wine cellar, ruins, dry stone walls, mulberry
trees and other archaeological features located on the west side of Skeleton Creek north of
Leakes Road. It also includes stone ruins and archaeological features associated with the
Campbell and Eades properties (Victorian Heritage Inventory H7822-137, H7822-139)
How is it Significant?
The Vineyard Estate is of historical and archaeological significance to the City of Wyndham.
Why is it Significant?
The ruins, dry stone walls and remnant mulberry trees are of high local significance as evidence
of early attempts of settlement, orcharding and wine production in the Werribee district during
the first years of permanent pastoralism by the earliest freehold occupant of the land Colin
279 City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997; recorded by H. du Cros and P. Watt in Skeleton Creek catchment:
Aboriginal and European heritage study, 1993, p.19.
Campbell. The purpose and extent of the remaining large drystone structure has never been fully
explored although it is clearly of the earliest period of settlement and farming of the land and
most probably by Colin Campbell who established an orchard and vineyard in the period 1859 to
1862 (Criterion A). These ruins and trees constitute one of the larger groups of remnant elements
from farming in the mid19th century in Werribee and are comparable with some ruinous farms
in Little River and Robertsons farm further up Skeleton Creek. As such, the complex is rare in its
extent (Criterion B), and is capable of revealing further information about Victorias Cultural
History through some archaeological investigation, particularly of the larger
Evidence of occupation of the land is substantially archaeological and revolves around a number
of bluestone structures which have been interpreted as the base of a small building and wine
cellars as well as a number of low height drystone walls hidden by boxthorn and native grasses.
The interpretation of these structures is somewhat difficult and the largest is the cellar created
by an 8m high bluestone wall some 17m long which is opposed by a lower height dry bluestone
wall. The dating of these structures is difficult but there is evidence that the first owner of the
freehold for this site had constructed a three room house, a kitchen and dairy and was growing
orchard trees and vines, all in the three years after he bought the land in 1859.
The rows of Mulberry trees should rightly form part of the existing heritage overlay the
boundaries of which should be extended so that there is one overlay along the west bank of the
Creek. Presently there are tree controls associated with the Cellars Site but the mapped area is
too small to include these trees. (Criterion C).
The dr y st one w alls are significant as an unusual confined group of relatively intact walls
reflecting the more complex land uses of this local area. While there is no particular association
between the cellars and the water reserve, both were probably located here to take advantage of
the rare, deep and reliable waterhole on the creek. The walls also reflect the management of
water, in dividing off this source from the surrounding private land. (Criteria A & C).
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Heritage Overlay (HO30) be extended to include the dry
stone walls around the ruins, along Skeleton Creek and extending from these walls as
shown in Figure 118.
Figure 118: HO30 Proposed Heritage Overlay extent for Vineyard Estate, ruins and dry stone walls
HO119 Sk elet on Wat erholes Reserve
Location: Skeleton Creek Water Holes and Government access road North side off Leakes Road
Tarneit and Truganina
Figure 119: Skeleton Creek water reserve looking north from Leakes Road (photo Bill Strong280)
History
Stock watering reserves were established in the initial Crown surveys as places where travelling
stock could be rested and watered. These water reserves were scattered across Victoria, with
most parishes having at least one.
The Skeleton Creek site was formally reserved as early as July 1869 (not 1916 as previously
reported) as a stock watering hole and that status has never been rescinded.
The access is via a long drive which starts at a gate on the west side of Woods Road (north of
Leakes Road) which is also a Crown road reserve. Just south of this is a stone ruin and walled
yard beside the east bank of Skeleton Creek, which Wixted identifies as having been built by the
first land purchaser George Eades, possibly as early as 1854. 281
Lands around the water hole were held by John Robertson and mostly sold off in 1905 after his
death. 282 Other land was owned by George Eades (lower south east along the Creek), and when
he put his land up for sale in 1877, improvements included fencing and a substantial stone wall
the base of which is likely to be the square-ish wall identified on the Heritage Inventory as H7822-
0139. He also sold horses, agricultural machinery, household goods and a lot of articles too
numerous to mention. Oddly there is no mention of a house. Eades land was sold to William
Leake and then it was re-sold at an auction of A & W Leakes land holdings in May 1888.
The land above Eades adjacent to the Crown stock reserve was put up for sale in January 1867 by
William Orr who continued with a series of advertisements over a number of years identifying the
land as December 1869 by Messrs. Nutt & Murphy but in the meantime Alexander Orr (the
280 Bill Strong Flickr photostream.

h t t ps:/ / w w w .f lick r .com / ph ot os/ 87791108@N00/ 2786708692/ in / ph ot ost r eam / with permission
281 Gazettal N o. 3.16. Place listed and mapped on Sites of European Heritage Significance by John Todd and Frances
Overmars, Truganina meeting (29/3/96), Site nos. T73. F. Overmars, unpublished notes 'Skeleton Creek waterholes'.
of Truganina and Tarneit, about 16 miles from Melbourne [cartographic material], 1905. State Library of Victoria.
owner) had also taken out an advertisement describing the land as maiden and not identifying
any improvements. The land was described in advertisements as being suitable for a vineyard
and 137 acres of fine arable and pasture land.
A newspaper report of December 1868 indicated that Colin Campbell had been actively creating a
broad water in this area for agricultural use by partially filling the deep reserve waterhole
(although this brought some ire from other users of the water holes). 283
Further upstream is another reserve located at the confluence with Dry Creek, and a third
another 200m north along Dry Creek. Both are considered to be of archaeological significance
because of their use by Aboriginal people.
Themes: 2.5 Creating smaller rural holdings
Figure 120: Skeleton Creek water reserve note low dry stone walls in distance.284
Description
There is a clearly visible road constructed of crushed bluestone that follows the present day fence
line off Woods Road. The road appears to end and a wide track turns about 90 degrees to the
south where it enters the reserve. It is clearly visible and is marked by an almost unbroken line of
box thorn hedging on each side. The road reserve is 1 chain wide (approx. 20.100m) with an
approximate length of 1,260m. This un-named Crown road reserve running from Woods Road to
the site has allowed open access by graziers to the water holes since 1869 although for the first
600 m it is now not obvious that a government road exists and this land has long been
incorporated into the land used for farming. The Crown land is inalienable so its existence can
only be extinguished by a formal closure of the road.
For the first half the road reserve is devoid of low drystone walling although they are shown on
maps of 1930. According to local information this stonewalling was removed when a pipeline was
installed. For the second half (>600m) being the reserve closest to the waterhole, the drystone
walls either side are more visible although almost all are now overgrown with boxthorn.
283 The Bacchus Marsh Express, Saturday 12 December 1868, p.3.

284 Wyndham City Libraries, Skeleton Creek Water Reserve, Leakes Road (north side of creek), Truganina,
Wyndham History, accessed May 13, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/987.
The Crown Reserve set aside in 1869 for stock watering is 5 acre 3 roods 16 perch with the north
side of 5.6 chains, the east boundary of 10 chains and the south boundary of 7 chains being a
polygon with regular sides of approximately 112 m x 201 m x 140 m.
This does not incorporate all of the area of the creek, which is of interest, just the main deep
lagoon. The creek becomes shallower and the retention of water in this basin is in part assisted
by the construction of the drystone walling some of which bifurcates the water holes.
The deepest waterhole is bounded on the eastside by rocky overhangs of 3-4m high.
Another stock yard site further south was included on the Heritage Inventory as H7822-0139
Stockyard. This site was roughly a square shape bounded by drystone walling on the east bank
of the Skeleton Creek. This (Stockyard) site was granted an approval under the Heritage Act for its
removal or destruction as part of the Regional Rail Link works. The stone building base
catalogued on the Heritage Inventory as H7822-0138 and believed to be related to Eades
ownership may be unaffected by the works in this area. The bases of other drystone wall
structures are evident near the site of the reserve. From the Reserve, the mulberry trees which
mark the Campbell wine cellars are clearly visible.
The Skeleton Creek Water Reserve and Water Holes (HO119) along with Wine Cellars (HO30)
(Vineyard Estate cellar ruins) and heritage inventory places (VHI 7822-0138 & 7822-0139 Leakes
Cellars and Eades Ruin), form a small cultural landscape with various dry stone walls in the valley
of Skeleton Creek north of Leakes Road. The precinct includes the walls along the road access to
the reserve (23 & 597), around the reserve itself (892), walls along Skeleton Creek (894, 895, 1045,
1634) and farm paddock walls (20, 30, 31, 19). There may also be remnants of walls which can be
seen on historical plans but are not obvious on the ground (22, 1044). Walls included in the
amended HO119 include the following:

23 1917 Army Survey Y C 5 220814852 Unnamed
597 GV Y B 3 52475755 Unnamed
892 GV Y C E 52475755 Unnamed
895 GV Y B 3 52475755 Leakes Rd
Note: This has been adopted from the Context report of 2012 and Heritage Alliance Report of 2013 with
updates.
What is of Significance?
The municipal waterholes located at the confluence of Dry Creek and Skeleton Creek, as well as
the ruins and footings of a small building, associated drystone walls and the unmade access
roadway from Woods Road are all significant elements of the place. The water reserve was
formally gazetted in 1869, but has an historical tradition of use by first the Overlanders in the
1830s and 1840s, and later as a large stock watering point for local farmers and pastoralists in
the latter half of the nineteenth century. The site is in good condition and retains a high degree of
integrity. It is known that Colin Campbell on the Tarneit side and George Eades on the Truganina
side, both original freehold title purchasers, made use of the available resources to establish their
farms in the earliest period of agriculture in Werribee. Campbell is also known to have been
actively attempting to create a broad body of water in this area for agricultural use
The approach lane from Woods Road in the east (now truncated by the Regional Rail Link)
comprise substantial dry stone walls and remnant boxthorn hedges, while remains of walls can
be traced around all sides of the reserve.
The water reserve is of local historical significance to the City of Wyndham.
Why is it significant?
The Municipal water holes along with associated drystone walls, the access road, the foundations
and bases to long demolished buildings and associated landscape elements which define and
subdivide the land, are of historical significance as a collection of archaeologically important
elements of the early farming and pastoral landscape of the parishes of Tarneit and Truganina.
(Criterion A).
The Skeleton Water Holes Creek as it was originally named, was a well-known feature in the
area and was often used as a reference point in advertisements for land sales in the 19th
century. The waterholes were considered to be assets to nearby farmers and never-dry and
hence the creeks formal reservation as a stock watering place in 1869. The waterholes and the
Creek are significant as the spine of what is recognizable as a late 19th and early 20th century
cultural landscape of farming practices running northward from Leakes Road to Boundary Road
and including its tributary Dry Creek which runs north west from the waterholes (Criteria B & D).
The lower part of Skeleton Creek has been surrounded by housing in the period since 2000.
The Skeleton Waterholes dry stone walls are significant as an unusual confined group of relatively
intact walls reflecting the more complex land uses of this local area. While there is no particular
association between the water reserve and the adjacent Campbell ruins and wine cellars, both
were probably located here to take advantage of the rare, deep and reliable waterhole on the
creek. The walls also reflect the management of water, in dividing off this source from the
surrounding private land.
A number of associated historical features are also listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory and
Heritage Overlay. Further upstream is another reserve, at the confluence of Dry Creek and
Skeleton Creek. A third water hole is another 200 metres north, on Dry Creek. Both are
archaeological significant as they were used by Aboriginal people.
Recommendations
stone walls around the reserve, along Skeleton Creek and extending both sides of the
former approach road from Woods Road to near where they are truncated by the
Regional Rail Link and as shown in Figure 121.
Figure 121: HO119 Proposed addition to Skeleton Creek water reserve dry stone walls lining
approach road
HO38 Missen's f arm
Location: 1030 Dohertys Road, Truganina, north side of Doherty Road, (known as 'The Dips')
Figure 122: Missen House ruin from the east with dry stone wall remnant in left foreground (2013)
History
Lot C Section XXII Parish of Tarneit was purchased by William & Peter Gardiner in 1854. The first
Wyndham rate book of 1864 noted the Gardner's occupations as farmers. The land was noted as
being occupied by a farm and vineyards in the 1871 ratebook and the land rated at NAV of 78.
By the turn of the century the rate book identified the land as being in the possession of the
Missen family. The Missens were occupying a total of approximately 796 acres along Dohertys
Road. William Missen held allotments A & C of Section 22 and allotment D of section 23 while
Thomas Missen held allotments B & D of Section 22. Notes in the 1899-1900 and 1910 register
books indicate the land was occupied by a farmstead.285
William Missen leased the property from 1900, purchasing in 1901 and built a house in 1905.
However, given the style and construction of the building (bluestone) it was more likely to have
been erected by the Gardners during their ownership and was in place by 1899. The style would
indicate it was built about the same time as the nearby Doherty House and the 1871 annotation
as a farm and vineyard can be inferred as including a house. George Missen also had a farm at
Truganina, while other Missen family were located at Rockbank.
William Missen and his wife had seven children, and three of the boys remained on the farm.
Patrick Killen later farmed the property and occupied the house, and after his death the property
285 Heritage Alliance, Wyndham N orth Heritage Strategy, May 2013
was leased to the Pattersons who milked cows here until c1939. After the war it was owned by
the Reid family until it burnt out in the 1969 fires, leaving only stone walls intact.286
Themes: 8.3 Creating a home
Description
The Missen farm is located on the north side of Doherty's Road at a bend of Dry Creek near some
deep waterholes on a section of road known as 'The Dips' due to the triple crossing of Dry Creek.
The homestead of randomly coursed bluestone with mud/lime mortar sits among Victorian
plantings, including cacti, peppercorns and cypresses and a network of dry stone walls that
enclose paddocks to the north and east across the creek.
The house is of squarish shape (12m x 12m) with what appears to be four rooms and two
chimneys making up a parlour bedrooms and kitchen area and possibly with timber skillions to
the rear. The rear corner (NW) of the building has collapsed and the stone quarried and removed
for other uses. On the east and north facades is a concrete verandah floor and some evidence of
a verandah.
The exterior walls are made of neatly cut and coursed bluestone using blocks approx. 200mm
high on the east and southern faces with single slab bluestone sills. On the north, the stonework
is coarser in its finish and some early concrete has been used although this may have occurred at
a later time.
Stone walls
An internal laneway runs to the north west parallel with Dry Creek, flanked by substantial walls
(walls 825, 898,899, 900. 901). A diagonal wall continues up the creek to Tarneit Road, where
there is a gateway, with substantial, well-constructed wall ends, and a section of consumption
wall (walls 305, 824). Two small cultivation paddocks are near the house and the creek has low
walls, or in some instances just remnants (walls 826, 829, 830). These may have been robbed to
provide stone for other walls, as the original purpose was probably to keep livestock out of
fodder crops, and so substantial fences would have been needed.
Figure 123: One of the Missen farm walls: a Galloway Dyke single wall beside Dry Creek on Dohertys Road.
286 Andrew Wards Werribee Heritage Study, 1990 on Section 22, Lot C, Parish of Tarneit.
The eastern boundary wall (wall 9) is of high quality and quite tall, indicating its importance as a
property boundary, while the south and west boundary walls along the roads are less intact,
probably having also been robbed (walls 825, 826, 896, 897). The wall along the front of the
house paddock (wall 1026) is unusually low for such a position, as these are generally made more
a feature.
Substantially intact walls around Missens House i.e. north of Doherty's Road include the
following (9, 10 (southern part of both comprising 50m from junction of wall 825 and 902
respectively), 305, 600, 823, 824, 825, 830, 831, 832, 833, 896, 897, 898, 899, 900, 901, 902, 1025,
1026, 1027, 1028). There are also a number of walls shown on historic maps, or recorded in the
past in this area, which are no longer visible, or are of a very low integrity (e.g. 826, 829, 830).
The extent of proposed heritage overlay is shown in the following map. This incorporates an
extension of the overlay around the complex of walls along dry creek, plus walls extending to the
north, north west and west as shown, with a 5m buffer to each wall.
WallID Source Extant Significance Structure PARCEL_PFI Nearest road

9 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 420227539 Dohertys Rd
10 1917 Army Survey Y C 3 218934244 Boundary Rd
305 1933 Army Survey Y B 3 218934244 Tarneit Rd
823 GV Y C 3 218934244 Tarneit Rd
824 GV Y B 1 218934244 Tarneit Rd
825 GV Y B 3 218934244 Dohertys Rd
831 GV Y C 3 218934244 Dohertys Rd
832 GV Y c 3 218934244 Dohertys Rd
1028 GV Y c 3 218934244 Dohertys Rd
What is of Significance?
The land on which the ruins and drystone walls are found was purchased in 1854 by William and
Peter Gardner. The 1871 rate book noted their occupations as farmers and the land occupied by
a farm and vineyards. By 1899 the land was occupied by the Missens and according to the rate
books the land contained a farmstead. The style of the building however indicates that it may
have been built by the Gardners or during the early period of Missens use.
How is it of Significance?
The site is of local historical significance to the City of Wyndham.
Why is it of Significance?
The bluestone house now known as the Missen house was probably constructed in the later
years of ownership and occupation of the land by farmers William & Peter Gardner. The house is
of substantial size and the walling constructed of carefully cut and coursed bluestone blocks
unlike any of the other ruins in the area. The house is of historic significance for its age and
association with the early period of pastoralism (Criterion A) and of architectural interest for its
carefully made construction incorporating both bluestone and brickwork but is of greater
significance for its rarity in the context of the City of Wyndham (Criterion B). The surrounding area
contains drystone walled yards which make the farmed area one of the two important man-
made cultural landscapes in Tarneit (Criteria A & F). It is one of a number of ruins in this locality
which demonstrate the past intensity of farming at Truganina.
The Missen farm dry stone walls are significant for the evidence of the more complex mixed
farm, with defined paddock uses for grazing and cultivation and control of livestock movement
through internal lanes. While several of the walls have low integrity, the pattern of walls survives
th
to reveal an aspect of 19 and early twentieth century stock management. The complex pattern
also forms an important cultural landscape in conjunction with the house ruin, the waterholes
and the line of the creek through 'The Dips'. (Criteria A & F).
Recommendations
stone walls around the homestead, along Doherty's Road, Tarneit Road and Skeleton
Creek and include the land between the dense complex of walls north and east of the
homestead as shown in Figure 127.
Figure 124: HO38 Walls proposed for addition to Heritage Overlay for Missens homestead
HO36 Doher t y's Dry Creek Tarneit f arm
Figure 125: Doherty's Dry Creek farm with remnant garden landscape.
History
The Doherty farm on Dry Creek Tarneit comprised Lots B and D Section XXII (156 acres)
purchased in November 1853 by William Doherty, and Lot B Section XXI (163 acres), south of
Doherty's road, originally selected by Edward Duckett in January 1854.
The south block was the location of the bluestone homestead, holding yards and farm sheds.
Duckett appears to have been a land speculator who sold land from his premises York Cottage
off Little Bourke Street West. In the 1850s he had land for sale in Tarneit, Tullamarine and
Mulgrave.287 As an absentee landlord and speculator, Duckett would have undertaken the
minimum improvements. This may have included the boundary fences, but if the land was not
occupied, it may have remained unfenced for some time. In April 1854 Duckett was selling ten
acre farmland allotments in Tarneit 288 from a total holding of some 750 acres but it is unlikely
such small scale propositions were taken up given the farming conditions which were more
suitable to broad acre pastoralism. It is unlikely that he had the house built; it is more likely he
bought this land in order to subdivide and resell it as farm (lets).
287 "Advertising." The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 - 1957) 20 Apr 1854: 3. Web. 13 May 2014
288 The Argus Melbourne, 18 April 1854, p3.
William Doherty migrated from England in 1843, settling on a farm in Dohertys Road (named
after him in recognition of his role on the Road Board, serving three terms). He and his wife had a
family of thirteen children. The family remained in the district (but not in this house according to
Ward's research). 289 Doherty purchased the southern allotment and probably built the
bluestone house by 1877. The family were living elsewhere, possibly leasing the property prior to
the purchase. By 1878 Doherty had retired as a councillor and taken out notices in the
newspaper selling up his properties of about 1,200 acres combined. 290 Andrew Ward (1990)
determined that Doherty bought this land in 1877 and built the two story bluestone house
around this time, although there are newspaper notices of Doherty selling up all his land a year
later.
In August 1866 Doherty had become a councillor for the East Riding of the Wyndham Shire and
he served until sometime around 1880 when the Shire took out a notice in the newspapers
thanking him for his service to the community. By 1878 Doherty had retired as a councilor 291 and
taken out notices in the newspaper selling up his properties of between 1,000 and 1,200 acres 292
combined.
Doherty appears to have only held the property for three years before selling to George Missen.
It has had a variety of owners over the subsequent 100 years, most recently Colin Morton. 293 The
Didiers lived there at least from the 1920s to the 1950s. Paul Didier was a Shire Councillor. The
house was one of many in the area burnt out in the devastating 1969 bushfire.
Themes: 2.2 Re-defining the subdivision of the western plains; 8.3 Creating a home
Description
The Doherty Tarneit farm is focussed around the ruins of the bluestone homestead on the south
side of Dohertys Road, setback approximately 10m from the fence line. The house is single storey
of approximately 10m x 15m with the main facade facing east and with two windows arranged
symmetrically either side of a central door. The coursed, random cut bluestone with corner
quoining stones contrasts with the rounded stone used in the farm walls. The house has two
extant chimneys in brick refinished with early 20th century rendered tops and chimney pots. The
house has a collapsed roof and all the exterior joinery has been removed.
South of the house and enclosing it is a yard of some 110m x 110m with an alignment of
senescent (pine) trees along the western side. At the road alignment on the north east corner of
the site is approximately150m of stone walling (wall 1009) while other remnants for the holding
paddock walls are to the south (walls 313-5, 903, 986-7, 1042).
Other walls not considered essential for inclusion in the heritage overlay due to their isolation
from the homestead or fragmentary nature include the walls around the main paddocks to the
north (which have been extensively cleared of stone for cultivation) with a long section of good
quality half wall marking the western boundary (wall 9) and various segments of wall along the
Derrimut road frontage (walls 1011, 1012, 1015, 1018, 1020). A small section of reasonably intact
289 Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, citing Frances Overmars: 'information provided for the present study'
290 Andrew Ward, Werribee Growth Area Heritage Study, 1990.
291 The Argus Melbourne 27 July 1878 , p8
292 The Argus Melbourne. 3 May 1878, p8.
293 Andrew Ward, 1990.
wall divides paddocks (wall 1040) while the remnants of the rest of this wall can be traced as
footings only (wall 8). There are also a number of walls shown on historic maps, or recorded in
the past in this area, which are no longer visible, or are of a very low integrity (e.g. 313, 315,
1042).. Walls 313 and 1942 are predominantly boxthorn hedges with some stone, but form an
important part of the associated historic landscape.
dislodged stones

314 1933 Army Survey Y C 5 213480043 Dohertys Rd
986 GV Y B 3 213480018 Derrimut Rd
987 GV Y C 3 213480018 Derrimut Rd
What is significant?
The large bluestone house known as Dohertys House Ruins was most likely built in the 1870s
after the land was acquired from the land speculator Edward Duckett who acquired large land
parcels and then attempted to subdivide it into smaller acreage farmlets. William Doherty owned
land opposite this site from 1853 and subsequently bought this parcel to add to a holding which
when accumulated totaled over 1,000 acres by the late 1880s. Substantial remnants of dry stone
walls remain, some on the boundary of the allotment probably dating from the 1850s, and others
built by Doherty in the 1870s.
How is it of significance?
The bluestone house ruins are of local historical significance to the City of Wyndham.
Why is it of significance?
Although now ruinous, the bluestone house and dry stone walls relate to the early years of
pastoralism and farming in the Tarneit area and is historically important for that connection as
well as being of interest for its connection to William Doherty, a well-known and long serving
citizen of the early days of the Shire of Wyndham. (Criterion A).
The house was a well-built large single storey structure and is of architectural interest for the
quality and size of its construction but obtains a greater significance for its rarity in todays City of
Wyndham for being in bluestone, a more readily available local building material dating from the
early period of Wyndhams development where there are now just a small number of these
structures. The formerly two story bluestone villa is (said to be the largest bluestone ruin in the
municipality providing evidence of the intensity of farming development on the flat Truganina
plains, and for its associations with several important local families. (Criterion B).
The dry stone walls are significant as substantial landscape features and historical fabric directly
related to two separate phases on occupation in the nineteenth century by pioneering families
and demonstrating the skills and effort used to transform the landscape into an agriculturally
productive area.
Recommendations
stone walls around the farm house, along Doherty's Road and Derrimut Road and
dividing paddocks to the south as shown in Figure 127.i
Figure 127: HO36 Proposed Extent of Doherty's Tarneit Farm walls.
HO9 Peppercorns
Location: Dohertys Road, Truganina
Figure 128: Peppercorns farm and walls
History
Henry Liddard (or Liddiard) was the first purchaser of Crown allotment A, Sec 25, Parish of Tarneit
in 1853. 294 The rate books list Liddard as owning and occupying a farm on 80 acres from 1863
but there is no mention of a house until 1900 when a "homestead" is listed. The Liddards come
from a place called Lydiard Millicent in Wiltshire England where 90% were stone masons and so it
is conceivable Henry himself built both the house and walls. 295
The property was leased out from 1868 to John Minns, and then to butcher William Minns, from
1871. It was sold out of the Liddard family in 1896 and purchased by Alfred Austin who held the
property until (at least) the 1920's." 296
A Henry Liddard was buried at Werribee in 1869, in an unmarked grave, almost certainly the
owner, whose death was described in the Argus as follows
"A man named Henry Liddiard, a farmer residing at Mount Cotterell, has committed suicide by drowning
himself in the river Werribee. The deceased was in difficulties, and had been in a desponding state of mind for
several days. On Thursday morning, whilst his wife was preparing breakfast, he ran out of the house towards
the river, which was the last time he was seen alive. His body was recovered on the 18th inst., and an inquest
294 Parish of Tarneit, Plan no. T24 (3), 1959.

295 A. Ward Werribee Corridor Heritage Study (Stage I), 1990; Don Liddard photostream,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donliddard/
296 1997 - Council Wyndham's Heritage Study adopted : Included p.85
was held on Monday afternoon by the district coroner, when a verdict was returned in accordance with the
evidence." 297
Werribee River. It is likely that Liddard subdivided his original allotment to accommodate
Themes: 2.2 Re-defining the subdivision of the western plains
Description 299
Peppercorn farm is a coursed bluestone cottage with a gable roof and skillion section to the rear
and timber shingles were still intact in 1990 mostly covered by corrugated iron. Works on the
building were underway in 1990, with a reconstructed front verandah noted in the Ward study.
There are also ruins of another building and dry stone walls enclosing the paddocks. Two
buildings and a complex pattern of stone walls are shown on the 1938 plan (one of which may be
this property). 300 The walls around the house are substantial full walls (walls 1522, 1523, 774)
297 The Argus of 20 Apr 1869, p.5

299 The place was documented in 1986 (M. Walker, C. Johnston & C. Boyce, Evidence of history: Melbourne Western
Region Heritage Study, Melbourne Western Region Commission, 1986.) in the Andrew Ward survey in 1989/90, Rural
Heritage Study: Western Region of Melbourne (1994) - W3, and Werribee Heritage 1997 study, although the
description and assessment comes only from the first two investigations, and the property has not been inspected in
detail since.
300 Army Ordnance Survey, Melbourne, 1" to I mile map sheet, 1933.
although they have collapsed in places and been reconstructed in a non-professional style. Walls
around the larger paddocks are half walls (walls 56 (part), 774, 775,1066).

774 GV Y C 3 212506392 Boundary Rd
775 GV Y C 3 212506392 Unnamed
1522 GV Y A 1 212506392 Unnamed
1523 GV Y A 1 212506392 Boundary Rd
The heritage significance is as defined by Ward (1990) and amended here.
Peppercorn Farm is a small bluestone farmhouse and outbuilding, with dry stone walls forming
the house paddock, and others along boundary road and dividing grazing and cropping
paddocks to the south and west.
Peppercorn Farm is of historical and archaeological significance to the City of Wyndham.
The Peppercorns is significant as evidence of the early small farming activities characteristic of
Mount Cottrell, Truganina and Tarneit selectors in the mid nineteenth century, retaining a
remarkable combination of features including the house, ruins of another building and a
complex of stone walls within a landscape that appears to have changed little over the last 130-
140 years since this land was first farmed. The complex of walls associated with the bluestone
farm house, indicate the nature of farming practices, and the tendency to keep important animal
husbandry activities such as lambing close by.
The Peppercorns (HO9) and nearby Volant House (now Arva) (HO10) are included in the
Wyndham Planning Scheme heritage Overlay.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Heritage Overlay (HO9) be extended to include the dry stone
walls associated with the Peppercorns Farm, located between the farm buildings and
Boundary Road, along boundary road to the east, and south of the farm building
denoting the main cultivation paddock and as shown in Figure 130.
Figure 130: HO9 Proposed addition to include dry stone walls around Peppercorn Farm
HO10 Volant house (Arva)
Location: 1625 Boundary Road, Mt Cottrell
Figure 131: Volant House from the air (photo, Bing Maps, bird's eye view)
History
Henry Liddard (or Liddiard) was the first purchaser of Crown allotment A, Sec 25, Parish of
Tarneit. The rate books list Liddard as owning and occupying a farm on 80 acres from 1863 but
there is no mention of a house until 1900 when a "homestead" is listed. The Liddards come from
a place called Lydiard Millicent in Wiltshire England where 90% were stone masons and so it is
conceivable Henry himself built both the house and walls.301
Werribee River. 302 Volant is known to have been the carpenter for William Leake's dairy. He is
301 Don Liddard, photostream, http://www.flickr.com/photos/donliddard/

302 Werribee District Historical Society, information from Daryl Wells.
described as a "French ships carpenter" by Ward.303 It is likely that Liddard subdivided his
original allotment to accommodate sale of the adjoining property. This was later acquired by the
Government under the closer settlement scheme.
Themes: 3.22 Redefining the subdivision of the western plains
Description
Located on the south side of Boundary Road, between Shanahan and Sewells Road this house,
now known as Arva, was probably built by Stephen Volant. The house, in poor condition, is a
small asymmetrical timber building with hip and gable roof, six-pane sashed windows, timber
post-supported verandah. Associated features include a domed well and peppercorn trees
nearby. Ward notes that "unusual carpentry techniques" are believed to have been incorporated
in the house.305
Figure 133: Wall 772 along Boundary Road east of Shanahans Road
A more recent weatherboard house is the main residence of the property. Alternating cactus and
cypress plantings line the driveway.306 Substantial and intact dry stone walls extend along the
Boundary Road and Mount Cottrell Road boundaries (walls 770, 772, 773), and the wall to the
east (wall 56) which is shared with the adjoining Peppercorn Farm. Wall 770 along Shanahans
road is included for 300 m south from Boundary Road, terminating in an imaginary line
extending from wall 57. A small stone walled enclosure is behind Volant House (wall 1064). Other
walls have been removed, or survive as remnants (walls 54, 55, 1061, 1062, 1066, 1067, 1068).
Walls 1061 and 1062 are included because they retain some stone remnants, but also have
remnant boxthorn hedging and assist in defining the former paddock complex.
303 A. Ward, Werribee Growth Area Heritage Study, 1990.

305 Ward, Werribee Growth Area Heritage Study 1994.
306 Werribee Rural Heritage Study, 1994, pp. 56-58. Rural Heritage Study: Western Region of Melbourne (1994) -
W36
57 1917 Army Survey Y C 3 212506397 Shanahans Rd
770 GV Y C 3 212506397 Shanahans Rd
1061 GV Y D 3 212506397 Shanahans Rd
1062 GV Y D 3 212506397 Shanahans Rd
1064 GV Y C 1 212506397 Shanahans Rd
1065 GV Y B 3 212506397 Shanahans Rd
The heritage significance is as defined by Ward 1990 and amended here.
Volant House is a small farmhouse with dry stone wall pens and farm fences along Boundary
Road Mt Cottrell Road and south of the house paddock.
Volant House is of historical and archaeological significance to the City of Wyndham.
The Volant farm and dry stone walls are significant as evidence of the small farming activities of
Truganina and Tarneit selectors in the mid nineteenth century. The complex of walls associated
with the bluestone farm house, indicate the nature of farming practices, and the tendency to
keep important animal husbandry activities such as lambing close by.
It is also of significance for its association with Stephen Volant, a local carpenter who worked on
other local buildings including Leake's dairy, providing a typical example of a small house of the
late nineteenth century, and worthy of further investigation for its unusual carpentry.
Volant House (now Arva) (HO10) and adjacent Peppercorn Farm (HO9) are included in the
Wyndham Planning Scheme heritage Overlay.
Recommendations
stone walls around the main paddocks associated with Volant house, including the
boundary walls, paddock walls and the stone enclosure and as shown in Figure 134.
Figure 134: HO10 Proposed extension to include stone walls around Volant house
HO18 Cobbledicks Ford and Reser ve w alls
Location: Cobbledicks Ford Road and Dukelows Road, (associated with HO41 Bambra Park and
HO42 Cobbledicks House Ruin)
Figure 135: Entrance to Cobbledicks Ford Reserve (right turn) with dry stone walls along Dukelows Road.
History
A track, probably an early travel route dating from the 1850s or 60s, is believed to cross the plains
of Tarneit, heading southwest from Greek Hill to Cobbledicks Ford.307 The land to the south of
Cobbledicks ford reserve, was originally bought by Simon Staughton (Sec XX Parish of Werribee),
and later occupied by his son Samuel. Samuel Cobbledick leased one square mile from
Staughton (Section 20A) from 1868, and extended his farm to 1000 acres by 1879. The Cobbledick
family continued to lease the property until 1899. 308 To the north P. Davis purchased Lots A & C
Sec XVIII Parish of Tarneit in the 1850s, and established a substantial mixed farm on the better
soils with the advantage of reliable water.
Cobbledicks bluestone farmhouse (now a ruin) was built in the 1860s on the opposite side of the
river and was connected to the other bank by a ford, known as Cobbledicks Ford. Official public
access over the ford was created when the Wyndham Shire Council opened a road through
Staughton's and Alexander Wilson's land in 1863, aligning with the existing Dukelows Road on the
north side of the Werribee River. 309 This ford provided the only crossing of the river between
Werribee and Exford (apart from Staughton's private bridge).
307 Context, City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, vol. 2, p188.

308 Wyndham City Libraries, Cobbledick House (ruin), Cobbledicks Ford Road, Wyndham Vale., Wyndham History,
accessed February 4, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/1152
309 Victorian Government Gazette, 63/1027
Figure 136: Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), showing location of original reserve310
From the turn of the century until at least the 1930s, part of the river flats in Cobbledicks Reserve,
managed by the (former) Shire of Werribee, was let to local farmers occupying nearby properties
including Charles H. Johnson of Mt. Cottrell 1904-5, 1910-11; William Missen Jr. 1913-14; Alfred
and Walter Murray 1914-16; Thomas Crinnigan; and William Ayr. 311 The 61 acre reserve, named
after Samuel Cobbledick, an early district farmer, was gazetted in 1872 as a Permanent Reserve
for Watering Purposes and Public Recreation. It is located on the east side of the Werribee River,
west side of Dukelow Road in Section XXVIII, Parish of Tarneit. Water reserves were essential for
travelling stock. 312
The first recorded incidence of foot and mouth disease in Australia was in 1872 at Cobbledicks
Farm in Victoria. 313 In the late 1880s George Godfrey owned the farm on 213 acres in allotments
A and B, Section XXVII, Parish of Tarneit. This was leased to Henry Dukelow, farmer, who erected
a bluestone house on Crown allotment A, but this was subsequently demolished and replaced
with a timber residence nearby. A farm homestead was recorded on this land in the late 1890s,
still owned by Godfrey and occupied by Dukelow. From the turn of the century Dukelow was
listed as the owner and occupier. 314
The ruin of a house is located on land originally occupied and acquired from the Crown by Simon
Staughton (and later his son Samuel). Samuel Cobbledick leased one square mile from Staughton
(Sec. 20A) from 1868, and extended his farm to 1000 acres by 1879. The Cobbledick family
continued to lease the property until 1899. 315 A 1935 auction notice describes Cobbledick's
310 Plan of the Parish of Tarrneit (sic), County of Bourke Thomas Widge (Wedge?), Contract Surveyor, Oct 3rd 1853 ;
photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey Melbourne by J. N oone 29. 9. 73.
311 Wyndham City Libraries, Cobbledicks Ford and Reserve, Cobbledicks Ford Road, Tarneit, Wyndham History,
312 Plan of the Parish of Tarneit,' Dept. of Lands & Survey, Melb., 29 Sept. 1873
313 E.M. Pullar, 'Foot and Mouth Disease in Australia with particular reference to the Victorian incident of 1872', In
Victorian Veterinary Proceedings, 1964-65.
314 Context, City of Wyndham Heritage Study 1997, p 119 citing Shire of Werribee Rate Books 1904-5, N orth Riding
N o. 3372. N AV 15 pounds; 1910-11 N o. 4165. N A V 16 pounds; 1913- 14 N orth Riding N o. 5173. NAV 14 pounds;
1914-15 N orth Riding N o. 5259; 1915-16; N os. 5290 N AV 14 pounds, N o. 5291 N AV 306 pounds.; 1920-21 N orth
Riding N o. 5601. N AV 25 pounds; 1932-33 N orth Riding N o. 86 N AV 20 pounds.
315 A. Ward, Werribee Corridor Heritage Study (Stage I), 1990.
dwelling as 'Blue Stone House, 4 rooms; large milking shed and necessary outbuildings' on 'rich
river flats suitable for dairying and mixed farming'. 316
Irrigation works to use Werribee River water for stock and domestic supply and some irrigation
farming in the Tarneit, Werribee and Mambourin were undertaken by private undertakings
Irrigation Trusts and later the State River and Water Supply Commission. Further works were
undertaken over the following decades in the Bacchus Marsh and Melton areas and at
Cobbledicks Ford after 1947 with a supply channel across the top of the Tarneit and Truganina
parishes to ensure continued supply to the Werribee farms. 317 A weir was also proposed to be
constructed across the river at Cobbledick's Ford in 1947. 318
Themes: 2.2 Redefining the subdivision of the Western Plains 12.5 Rivers as a place for recreation
Description
Cobbledicks Reserve comprises a large open space and recreation area of about 61 acres on the
Werribee River about 15 km north west of Werribee. A ford, paved in cut bluestone pavers
crosses the river at the west end of the reserve, with steep approach roads either side.
The approaches to the ford were once lined with substantial dry stone walls, but later works in
the area seem to have removed or damaged these. Remaining walls along Dukelows Road (walls
611, 612, 1330) are well preserved, as are some walls to the south of the ford defining the
cultivation paddocks near the river (walls 1333-38) although some of the latter have been
removed.
While some of these walls are only traces, those along Dukelows Road (611, 612) and near the
sharp bend in the river at the south of the reserve (1332, 1334) are substantial and in good
condition. The wall on the east side of Dukelows Road is already in a separate Heritage Overlay
(HO41 Bambra Park)
Cobbledick's bluestone house remains in a ruined form, with a nearby well on the south side of
the reserve overlooking the valley. It has been a well-built and detailed building with quoins and a
slate roof. The house is in a separate Heritage Overlay (HO42)
316 'Subdivisional Sale of Freehold Eynesbury,' 30 Nov. 1935. (Shows Cobbledicks Homestead block in Crown
Allotment A .Section XX, Parish of Werribee.)
317 An analysis of the need for these works were commented on in Werribee River and tributaries. Report on
proposed reservoir at Cobbledick's Ford / by T.A. Lang. State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.
318 Report from the Parliamentary Public Works Committee on the practicability and cost of safeguarding the water
users of the Bacchus Marsh and Werribee irrigation and water supply districts against various deficiencies in supply
during drought periods by the construction of a reservoir on the Werribee River at or in the vicinity of Cobbledick's
Ford. 1947. State Library of Victoria.
Figure 137: Stone half wall and sugar gums along Dukelows Road.
Figure 138: Cobbledicks Ford Reserve from the air (photo, Bing Maps, bird's eye view)
A number of walls are already within three Heritage Overlays in this location: Cobbledicks Ford
and Reserve (HO18), Bambra Park (HO41) and Cobbledicks House Ruin (HO42). Wall 308 formerly
extended along the West side of Cobledicks Road, but has been removed. The land area for this
wall should be included with the potential objective of future reconstruction. Walls proposed for
inclusion within the heritage overlay area are as follows:
611 GV Y B 3 209088408 Unnamed
612 GV Y C 3 151469641 Unnamed
1330 GV Y B 3 151469641 Dukelows Rd
A number of other walls are in the vicinity, and are included within the adjoining HO41 and HO42.
These include the following:
62 1917 Army Survey Y E 3 52491182 Cobbledicks Ford Rd
533 1917 Army Survey Y E 3 2065662 Unnamed
1332 GV Y B 3 208389772 Unnamed
1333 GV Y E 3 202672730 Unnamed
1334 GV Y C 2 208389772 Unnamed
1335 GV Y D 3 208389772 Unnamed
1336 GV N removed n/a 208389772 Unnamed
1337 GV Y E 3 208389772 Unnamed
1338 GV N removed n/a 208389772 Unnamed
The heritage significance is as defined by Ward 1990 and amended here.
Cobbledicks Ford Reserve and dry stone walls comprise an historical reserve on the east side of
the Werribee River, used for watering stock and camping. Dry stone walls were constructed along
the access roadways, including Dukelow's Road from the north and Cobbledicks Ford Road from
the south, to divide the private and public lands, and contain wandering flocks, but have been
diminished by modern land use practice.
Cobbledicks Ford Reserve and dry stone walls are of historical, aesthetic, social and
archaeological significance to the City of Wyndham.
Cobbledicks Ford Reserve and dry stone walls are of historical significance as representative to
the important role of stock watering places associated with a well-known local pioneering family
Samuel Cobbledick.
The dry stone walls around Cobbledicks Ford & Dukelows Road represent changing land use and
ownership by squatters and settlers for more than 100 years. Commencing with Simon
Staughton's original Eynesbury grazing run, the land became freehold in the 1850s, and was
subsequently leased, then purchased by small farmers. The walls are of historical significance as
markers of former land divisions, property boundaries and the small community focussed on the
ford and school, as well as evidence of the efforts of early settlers to improve properties. Those
south of the river directly reflect the association with Samuel Cobbledick, while the walls along
Dukelows Road were most probably constructed by Davis in the 1850s.
The stone walls are of aesthetic significance as evidence of the stone wallers' craft in its high-
quality finish. Walls associated with Cobbledicks Ford and the surrounding farm land, and
extending along Dukelows Road are important elements in a distinctive cultural landscape.
Recommendations
stone walls around the reserve, along the west side of Dukelows Road and north and
west side of Cobbledicks ford Road as shown in Figure 139.
Restoration and reinstatement of dry stone walls in a traditional construction style as
part of development of the reserve is also desirable. Walls can be reconstructed where
historical evidence indicates they were previously located, while new walls on new
alignments are also acceptable if designed and located appropriate to the heritage values
of the place.
Figure 139: HO18 Dry stone walls near Cobbledicks Ford, Reserve, house and Bambra Park
HO53 Mouyong
Location: Mouyong Road off Edgars Road, Little River.
Figure 140: Dry stone walls near Mouyong from Mouyong Road at western end.
History
The Mouyong property was establish shed by George Synnot (1819-1871) who was one of
Victoria's pioneer settlers, arriving in about 1837 and rising to become a prominent Geelong
businessman. He established the firm, George Synnot & Co., in 1854, and operated hide and skin
stores, wool and grain warehouses and engaged in trade. Hawkes Bros. took over the business
in 1882. 319
With his brother, Monkton Synnot, George managed the main station known as 'Station Peak' of
26,225 acres from at least 1841, while the Mouyong property (also known as Mowyong, Mayong,
Moyong, or Bareacres) appears to have been part of the Station Peak station and included land
on both sides of the Werribee River. 320 In 1850, Synnot purchased over 18,000 acres under pre-
emptive rights in the parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Yowang. 321 In 1857 he sold the property to
Lucius McManus for 10,200 and in the same year it was sold on to William Kaye and James
Butchart who held other land in the area. In 1858 Thomas Chirnside acquired the property but
subsequently transferred it to Andrew Chirnside. The nearby Paradise Farm, Little River of 496
acres, which was owned by the late Mr. Orr, was bought by Robert Chirnside for 6,000 in 1873 to
319 Geelong Historical Records Collection

320 Billis and Kenyon, Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip, p.254.
321 Werribee - The area, its people and heritage. Bill Strong Flickr stream, 'Synnot
family'https://www.flickr.com/groups/799686@ N 21/discuss/72157632778702882/
add to his Mouyong estate. 322 In 1886 Robert put several of his large grazing properties up for 5
year lease, while he returned to England:
At Mowyong, there is a good bluestone dwelling-house, Althouse windmill to supply the garden;
kitchen, stable, and store, men's huts, new stone woolshed for 12 shearers.323
Figure 141: Portion of Parish of Bulban plan showing Synnot's land purchase
The adjoin block south of the shearing shed and immediately north of Mouyong Road (Sec Vb lot
10a) was bought in 1853 by George William Goodman, who appears to have been a land
speculator, so it might be assumed Synnot also controlled this block. Goodman died 6 Nov 1865
at Connewarre near Geelong, having operated a land sale business for over a decade.324
Mouyong remained in Chirnside ownership for some years, temporarily going out of Chirnside
hands in 1980-81 when Gradena Jan Nominees P/L of Dandenong purchased the property for
$150,000. The following year Ann Elizabeth Chirnside, medical practitioner, of Mount Rothwell,
Little River, and Timothy James Young, solicitor, returned the property to the Chirnside family for
$179,200. 325
Themes: 2.1 Pastoralists
Description
Mouyong is a large property, retaining a large bluestone shearing shed, another bluestone
building and a timber house (moved to the property). The shearing shed is one of several that
were owned by the Chirnside brothers and has a floor plan similar to the shed at Werribee Park,
Mokanger, Mt William, Mt Elephant and Carranballac but is substantially smaller.
It retains a small tower (presumably a wool press tower), a similar feature having been removed
from the Werribee Park woolshed (but surviving at Mokanger). It may also be the work of
'architect cum builder' Parlane Colquhoun who built the Mokanger shed, and undertook many
322 Bacchus Marsh Express 26 July 1873, p.3.

323 "Advertising" The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.: 1864 - 1946) 16 Oct 1886: 5. Web. 20 Jun 2014
324 Victorian Government Gazette 76, Tuesday, July 17th 1866 pp1470-71.
325 RGO Search 58265
other building projects for the Chirnsides.326 Other known examples include the woolsheds at
Deanside and Eynesbury.
Dry stone walls are concentrated to the south of the shearing shed paddock, between it and
Mouyong Road, forming a series of holding paddocks and possibly directly related to the
shearing activities.
Walls at the western end of Mouyong Road are believed to be related to Mouyong station, and
form a complex landscape near Little River. Mouyong to the north is on the Heritage Overlay
(HO53) although the mapping appears to exclude the homestead.
WallID Source Extant Significance Structure PARCEL_PFI Nearest road
744 GV Y C 3 2064604 Unnamed
745 GV Y C 3 2064608 Unnamed
1079 GV Y A 1 209230075 Unnamed
1343 GV Y C 3 2064608 Mouyong
1344 GV Y C 3 2064608 Unnamed
1346 1917 Army Survey N E 3 2064609 Mouyong Rd
1676 GV Y A 3 n/a Mouyong
1677 GV Y A 3 n/a Mouyong
1678 GV Y B 3 n/a Mouyong
1679 GV Y C 3 148615 Mouyong
1682 GV Y C 3 n/a Mouyong
Statement of Significance
The heritage significance is as defined by Ward 1990 and Werribee Heritage Study 1997amended here.
The Mouyong station and dry stone walls are a distinctive grazing property on the banks of the
Little River, comprising a bluestone woolshed, another bluestone building, entrance driveway,
and network of dry stone walled holding pens to the south, and along Mouyong Road.
The Mouyong station and the dry stone walls associated with the early stages of the property are
of local historical significance to the City of Wyndham.
Mouyong has significance for its early associations with the district squatters, George Synnot and
Robert and Andrew Chirnside.327 The stone walls are most likely related to the Chirnsides' period
of ownership and provide insight to pastoral management in the nineteenth century. The
surviving stone walls form a network of enclosures to the south of the shearing shed, which may
have been used to pen sheep herded from the vast station both during and after shearing.
Mouyong is included in the Wyndham Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay (HO53).
326 Werribee Park Metropolitan Park Conservation Analysis, 1985, pp.99-1 09.
327 M2030 Networked Cities Growth Corridors Victoria Jan 2007
Recommendations
stone walls to the south of the woolshed paddock and north of Mouyong Road as shown
in Figure 142.
Figure 142: HO53 Walls proposed for addition to Mouyong Heritage Overlay
Wesleyan Chapel sit e
Location: West of 865 Boundary Road Tarneit/Truganina (Lot 1 TP23043)
History
Figure 143: Photograph (painting) of Wesleyan Church (via Frances Overmars)

A bluestone Wesleyan Church was established on Boundary Road possibly in the 1850s.328 This
site on Skeleton Creek at the border of Tarneit and Truganina parishes, served as both a church
and school and was probably the only church in the district until the Baptist church was built on
Dohertys and Woods Roads in 1861 after Samuel Evans gave 1/4 acre of land for it to be built
on.' 329
The building was used as a temporary school from 1866, and continued to operate at Boundary
Road while the Truganina School was being built in 1869, it was still standing until almost the end
of the century. 330
A history of the Truganina School No.192 refers to a chapel, but the current locals call it a
Church. 331 The Methodist Church is mentioned in Green's history of Truganina as being located
on Boundary Road, and a wedding is mentioned in the Methodist Church in 1861. 332
328 The Heritage alliance Wyndham N orth Heritage Study states: 'the bluestone Wesleyan Methodist church, which
was erected on the banks of Skeleton Creek around 1859.'
329 Albert Evans Early Settlers to the 1969 Fires, typescript held by Frances Overmars. P. 49
330 Ken James and Lance Pritchard Werribee The First 100 Years Second edition 2008, p. 101
331 The History of School N o.192 Truganina Educational Magazine - N ovember 1960 p. 471
332 Geo. Green, A history of Truganina by 1935 pp5 & 6; History of the Mt. Cotterell Schools Draft copy held by
Frances Overmars; Esther Murray The Plains of Iramoo 1974 p. 103
James notes that:
In Truganina village, the first religious service was held in 1856 by Sam Hayes, the first school
teacher in the settlement. It was a Wesleyan service and his action encouraged some residents to
build a bluestone Wesleyan Chapel. In 1862 a Baptist church was erected" 333
The church history at Truganina and Tarneit is somewhat confused. A Baptist church was built in
1862 of corrugated iron in Truganina. The Wesleyan congregation provided their building for use
of other denominations, as well as for a school, but to further confuse the issue, contemporary
accounts sometimes refer to this as the Wesleyan Chapel Derrimut. 334
The subdivision of the small triangle of land near the creek appears to have been made early. The
land was split off from crown Lot 6 Section 26 parish of Truganina, which was originally
purchased by John Wood in 1858. Wood may also have provided the land for the Truganina
Baptist/Presbyterian Church, although Albert Evans' account was that Samuel Evans provided the
land. John Watson bought the adjoining land to the west (Sec. 22 Lot E parish of Tarneit).The
triangular block is marked as 'Reserve' on the 1905 sale plan for the Truganina Estate.
Figure 144: 1905 sale plan for the Truganina Estate, showing church reserve on Boundary Road
In 1895 Rev John McIntosh, Minister of the Werribee Presbyterian church began holding services
fortnightly at the Truganina Baptist Church. In 1907 he bought the Baptist Church building for use
by the Presbyterian Church and it continued in this use in 1962. The Church was burnt down in
the fires of 1969. 335
In 1913, the Presbyterian Church congregation gathered to rebuild the dry stone walls around
the chapel, presumably because they had fallen into disrepair:
333 James, K, Werribee, The first One hundred Years pg. 126
334 "SOIREE AT TRUGAN IN A COMMON SCHOOL." The Bacchus Marsh Express 12 Jun 1869: 3. Web. 30 Jul 2014
335 Werribee Our History, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/999
A photo is available of the later Presbyterian Church in Truganina, but not the Tarneit building.
Figure 145: Truganina Baptist church/Presbyterian Chapel? 337
This appears to be taken from the south side of Dohertys Rad, depicting the Truganina church.
The Wesleyan Chapel is likely to have looked similar, although would have been set further back
on the block and appears to have been built of bluestone rather than timber.
Figure 146: Triangular block defining the Wesleyan Chapel block
336 "WERRIBEE" The Bacchus Marsh Express 20 Sep 1913: 2. Web. 21 Feb 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-
article90578182>.
337 Werribee and District Historical Society 9836 - Picture Victoria
Description
Small sections of walls bounding a triangular block of land within the former Truganina Estate
farm on Skeleton Creek located on Lot 1 TP23043 (west of 865 Boundary Road). The road
boundary and wall along the creek are probably earlier property boundary walls but the straight
wall along the eastern side of the triangle appears to relate to the establishment of the chapel.338
Remains of stone garden edging and possible footings of t a building are evident near the north
east corner of the block of land. A small heart-shaped waterhole is straddled by the stone wall on
the west side, in the base of the creek.
Figure 147: Western boundary wall of Wesleyan Chapel block
The Wesleyan Chapel site comprises a triangular area of land on the south side of Boundary
Road (Lot 1 TP23043 (west of 865 Boundary Road, with substantial but partly fallen dry stone
walls along the east and west boundaries. Within the allotment on the higher ground in the north
east there are other stone footings and dry stone structures which relate to foundations and
garden borders from the chapel.
The Wesleyan Chapel is of historic and archaeological significance to the City of Wyndham.
The Wesleyan Chapel site is of historical significance as a rare example of community religious
institute in the farming communities of Truganina and Tarneit. It presence relatively close to
338 Wesleyan Church Properties Trusts. [51 VICT.] 319 Tarneit (or Mount Cotterell) conveyance N o. 214, Book 121.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/tvwma1887371.pdf
other small denominational churches indicates the diversity of religious practice in the
nineteenth century.
The Wesleyan Chapel dry stone walls and the northern end of the Skeleton creek wall are
significant as a rare and usually well documented example of community stone wall building.
While the walls are in poor repair now, they were once substantial, with a large volume of
dislodged stone indicating their original form. They also closely define the original Wesleyan
Chapel site, which was an important focus for the local community. As such the walls would offer
opportunities for future reinstatement. Archaeological remains of the church itself are also
present.
While the walls are in poor repair now, they were once substantial, with a large volume of
dislodged stone indicating their original form. They also closely define the original Wesleyan
Chapel site, which was an important focus for the local community. As such the walls would offer
opportunities for future reinstatement. Archaeological remains of the church itself are also
present.
The northern end of the Skeleton Creek wall (1029) joins the boundary walls of the Wesleyan
Chapel site and so the 20 m section of this wall abutting the chapel site is included. Walls
associated with the Wesleyan Chapel site are:
WallID Source Extant Signifi Structure PARCEL_PFI Nearest named road

cance
1726 GV Y D 1 178077 Boundary Rd
Recommendations
It is recommended that a new Heritage Overlay is created to include the dry stone walls
around the former Wesleyan chapel site and the encompassed land, including
archaeological remains and garden walls from the chapel site, along Skeleton Creek and
on the eastern boundary of the chapel reserve as shown in Figure 148.
retained and conserved. Retention of the allotment as open space is desirable enlarged
by 2.5m beyond the cadastral boundary in order to include the walls and sufficient buffer
to ensure their survival if adjacent land is developed.
Figure 148: Proposed HO for stone walls around Wesleyan Chapel site and remnant garden wall
Lit t le River Far m ers Com m on st one w alls
Location: Either side of Edgars Road, Little River, and walls extending perpendicular for 100m
either side and along Narraburra Road, McPhersons Road and Bulban Road.
Figure 149: East side Edgars Road, showing modern reconstructed wall ends at gate.
Figure 150: Characteristic paddock division half wall, north of Narraburra Road (wall 153)
History
The history of land settlement in the Wyndham area reflects the tensions between sq2uatters
and selectors, which characterise much of Nineteenth century rural Victorian history. While the
big graziers, Staughton, Chirnside and Clarke, locked up much of the land, small farmers
struggled in the few pockets of good arable and grazing land.
The Victorian government reacted to discontent and electoral challenges with a series of land
acts in the 1860s, designed to break the dominance of the squatters and encourage closer
settlement. The most famous of these was the Duffy Land Act in 1862.339 One aspect of this act
was the creation of farmers commons, intended to provide common land for local farmers to
graze their livestock (and in particular cattle) for an annual licence fee. Many of the settlers in the
Wyndham area came from Scottish families, where a common area of land for grazing purposes
was part of the traditional crofting practices of the Highlands. In arguing for the creation of
farmers' commons in the district, the small farmers pointed out that the farming land at Little
River was of such poor quality that the income made through cropping was insufficient and that
common land was necessary to raise animals for sale to provide a supplementary income. 340
339 For this Act see Kiddle, Men of Yesterday, pp. 264-273 and Powell, The Public Lands of Australia Felix, pp. 88-118.
340 Prayers and pastures: Moidart emigrants in Victoria, 1852-1920 by Michael John Murray (B Ed) PhD Deakin
University N ovember 2006, citing The Historical Sub-Committee of The Centenary Celebrations Council, pp. 128-9.
At Rothwell, the low population density, said to be four persons and one inhabited dwelling in
total, in 1861, dramatically increased by 1865 when crown land sales, and leasing by the large
estate owners led to the establishment of a farming community by 1865 when the population
was said to be 1,500, and the number of dwellings 160. 341 This sizeable population, however,
was largely unable to secure any land of their own. Through the land sales and leasing
arrangements, the small selectors and farmers held only 10,000 acres collectively while five
squatters held 80,000 acres between them in the area. 342
In 1858 farmers in the Little River district formed the Little River Farmers' Association to "protect
farmers' commons from the depredations of Squatters Grant and Chirnside". 343 In August 1859,
a meeting of Little River residents demanded the establishment of a farmers' common on unsold
or waste land where they could graze their cattle. John Rees, a local farmer, and later MLA for
Grant, played a major role in this agitation. Rees argued in December 1860 that district residents
should "enjoy the same right to depasture stock on the waist (sic) lands of the Crown as is
accorded to the squatter and wealth landowners". 344
The United Farmers Common of Little River and Duck Ponds at the You Yangs was proclaimed on
8 March 1861, and gazetted in 1863 after several years of agitation by local farmers. 345 A series
of managers were appointed from the inception of the Common up until at least the 1890s. 346
The proclamation read:
"AT LITTLE RIVER, County of Grant, Parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Youang -Extent, about 20000 acres: Being the
unappropriated Crown lands within the parishes of Bulban and Wurdi Youang.347
Rules and regulations were drawn up on 27 August 1862 and this was followed by an
amalgamation with the newly established Ducks Pond United Common.
The common initially covered 20,000 acres and extended from below the railway line to Bulban
Road, Edgars Road and Newton Road. Conflicts between the Commons' farmers and the
squatters in the district, such as the Chirnside's ensued. For example in February 1863, John Rees
complained that at least 70 head of cattle were missing from the Bulban Common , some having

343 Wynd, So fine a country, p. 80 ; Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer 23 October 1858 and 26 April 1861.
http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/michaelmurray/Part%2006.pdf
344 John Rees (1825-1917), according to an "In Memoriam" service following his death, was born in Bristol, England
and came to Australia in 1849. He went to Geelong and then to the diggings at Ballarat and Bendigo. In 1852 he
settled at Little River and in 1856 began the agitation for a farmers' common. In 1875 Rees became MLA for Grant,
holding the position for the next 12 years. He was a Lara councillor and twice President, and secretary of the
cemetery for 50 years. Rees was a Sunday School Superintendent of the Little River Methodist Church for over 30
years. An article in the district press described his "strong and commanding" personality with "fidelity to the trust of
friendship".
345 News of the Week, 14 October 1909.
346 Cazalys Contractor Reporter, 8 October 1912; Wynd, I., So Fine A Country, Shire of Corio, 1981, pp.160161.
Wyndham City Libraries, Little River farmers common Edgars Road (east side), Little River, Wyndham History,
accessed February 28, 2014, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/283. Victoria Government Gazette, vol.
13, 5 February 1863, p.286; vol. 57, 18 May 1866, p.1086; vol. 88, 18 July 1865, p.1580; vol. 107, 1 O ctober 1867,
p.1875; Wynd, So fine a country, p.548.
347 Farmers Commons, PROCLAMATION. Presented To Both Houses Of Parliament By His Excellency's Command.
Victorian Parliamentary Papers, , 1860-61, http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/papers/govpub/VPARL1860-61N o41.pdf
been found in a pound 20 miles away, while "at the same time thousands of the Squatters Sheep
is allowed quietly to graze on the common". 348
In 1864 the portion of "that the part of the said United Farmers' Common of Little River and Duck
Ponds, in the county of Grant situated within the boundaries of the Shire of Wyndham and containing
an area of 4480 acres, more or less, [was separated] from the Common and subject to the control of
the Council of the said shire of Wyndham.349
Rothwell Reserve (originally Bulban Reserve), at Little River is a small remnant of the former
common. It is shown on an early map as "Commons". The part of the Commons north of the
Little River is in the Parish of Bulban, south of the Little River being in the Parish of Murtcaim.350
A large grass fire in 1865, burnt through almost the entire common, as well as most of Edgar's
property, and a large part of Chirnside's estate, having started from a shepherd's pipe.351
Figure 151: Little River Farmers Common showing stone walls and colour coded decade of land sales
At the Corio Shire Hall at Duck Ponds in 1866, twentytwo rules and regulations were passed and
managers were appointed, included Francis Beech, James English and John Miller. English, who
349 Victoria Government Gazette. N o.80., Friday, August 12. 1864. p.1752
350 Site for a public park gazetted. 5 acres, 1 rod, 32 perches. 1890 - Rothwell (Little River), allotment 39 of suburban
section 1. County Grant. Parish Bulban. Township Rothwell.
351 "VICTORIA." The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954) 16 Jan 1865: 3. Web. 15 May 2014
originally settled at Lara in 1857, was replaced with Moodie Drysdale in 1867 and James Ramage
replaced Beech in 1868. English returned, serving until at least the 1890s. 352
After the establishment of Wyndham Shire Council, the new body tried to settle the disputes
between squatters and farmers over right to use Crown Land by establishing a pound. Later, in
the 1870s, Patrick Kelly, the Shire President, founded a Wyndham Ratepayers Association that
aimed at protecting farmers against the enclosing of public roads. However, during that decade,
much of the district common land was thrown open for selection. 353
The alienation of lands from the Commons had already commenced in 1868, when the area was
opened for application for licence for occupation under section 42 of the Amending Land Act
1865.354
Some of the impact on the Commons came from the presence of the adjacent Mouyong pastoral
estate of William Synnot, which was originally established as early as 1841, and tied up much of
the good farming land along the Little River.355
A number of small farms were created form the former Little River Farmers Common lands, such
as Campbell's House and Store (HO8), Devine House ruins (HO13), Shaw House (HO54) and Balls
house (HO67). These mostly bluestone late nineteenth century ruins reflect the brief phase of
prosperity for small farmers and land holders in the district, many of which drifted away through
the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s, and changes in land use which made the small holdings
unviable.
Description
The Little River commons walls are concentrated along Edgars Road and Narraburra Road,
McPhersons Road and Bulban Road. These were previously proposed for inclusion in a HO51,
which has not proceeded. A number of other historic places are also included in the Heritage
Overlay along Edgars Road including Campbell's House and Store (HO8), Devine House ruins
(HO13), Little River Uniting Church (HO52) and Shaw House (HO54).
The almost continuous substantial walls along Edgars Road provide a distinctive approach to
Little River, while several walls extend as property divisions perpendicular to Edgars road and
along both sides of Narraburra Road, McPhersons Road and Bulban Road.
The walls are a mix of full height walls made with a large amount of small stones, and half height
walls that have fewer large stones. This appears to be partially geographic as the land near the
Edgars Swamp was more fertile and so more effort was put into clearing it, while further east
rocky rises were left as unimproved large grazing paddocks.
One small detail of the walls in the former Farmers Common area, is at the intersection of Edgars
Road and Kirks Bridge Road, where the wall on the south east (wall 1611) diverges around a
stone rise, with a remnant track showing how the roadway had to diverge to avoid the rocky
obstacle. This was later removed and the road straightened, but the fence line remained.
352 David Rowe, 2013, Lara Heritage Review Phase 2: Draft Thematic History, February 2013,
354 Victorian Government Gazette, No 128, 1868, http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1868/V/general/128.pdf
Figure 152: Wall diverging around stony rise on Edgars Road.
Figure 153: Example of wall building and preserved half wall with coping intact (wall 731)
Figure 154: Section of wall around stony rise, encroaching on private land (wall 1611).
Figure 155: Walls at corner of McPherson's and Newton's Roads showing dog-leg corner
A large number of walls are included in this precinct as the main roads have numerous openings
for gates and driveways, and the walls are listed according to the separate segments. They
included in the accompanying table.
166 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 203377787 Edgars Rd
170 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 1777186 Edgars Rd
649 GV Y B 3 1781040 Narraburra Rd
650 GV Y B 3 1781074 Edgars Rd
677 GV Y C 3 1781064 Edgars Rd
679 GV Y B 3 1781065 Unnamed
681 GV Y B 3 52401190 Edgars Rd
682 GV Y A 1 52401190 Edgars Rd
689 GV Y B 3 52401202 Edgars Rd
693 GV Y C 3 52401200 Edgars Rd
694 GV Y E 3 1795413 Edgars Rd
696 GV Y B 3 203377787 Edgars Rd
697 GV Y B 3 52401206 Edgars Rd
702 GV Y B 3 52401206 Edgars Rd
703 GV Y B 3 52401214 Edgars Rd
704 GV Y B 3 52401212 Edgars Rd
729 GV Y B 3 209230067 Edgars Rd
730 GV Y B 3 1781061 Unnamed
731 GV Y B 3 3000731 Unnamed
732 GV Y D 3 52401343 Kirks Bridge Rd
1339 GV Y D 3 52401224 Edgars Rd
1611 GV Y A 3 52401224 Edgars Rd
1684 GV Y E 3 52401218 Edgars
1686 GV Y 1 n/a n/a Edgars
1687 GV Y 1 n/a n/a Edgars
Walls 167, 698, 701, 1683, are already included in part in HO55 while wall 689 is included in
existing HO8. There are also numerous other walls in the vicinity, which were also constructed as
part of the settlement of the former commons (but are not proposed to include in the Heritage
Overlay).
(Note: Little River Historical Society suggested continuing the heritage overlay area to south of the
railway line to include Flinders Street, McLeans Road and Rothwell Road walls in the township
and to link with the Rothwell Reserve, Rothwell Bridge and other important sites. While this would
encompass more of the former Commons land, and have some historical relevance, it was
considered difficult to justify doe to the discontinuous nature of surviving walls in this area).356
The Little River Farmers Common dry stone walls are concentrated along Edgars Road, with other
walls on Narraburra Road, McPhersons Road and Bulban Road, and as dividing walls between
paddocks. The walls included in this citation and Heritage Overlay are those on Edgars Road itself
between Bulban road and You Yangs Road, and extending for 100m either side along the
adjoining side roads and paddock walls.
The Little River Farmers Commons walls are of historical and aesthetic significance at the local
level to the Municipality of Wyndham.
The Little River Farmers Commons walls are significant as examples of later walls constructed
following prior use of the land. They do not relate to the farmers common use (apart for potential
walls on adjoining earlier crown land grants), but reflect the purchasers of the allotments as the
Commons land was opened up for selection in the later 1860s and 1870s. As such they may
reflect slightly different walling styles and a different economic circumstance, when labour was
more valuable.
The walls along Edgars Road are were included in the former Wyndham Planning Scheme interim
Heritage Overlay (HO51), while adjoining properties including Mouyong estate (HO53),
Campbell's House and Store (HO8) , Devine House ruins (HO13), Little River Uniting Church
(HO52) and bluestone Shaw house (HO54) are in the current Heritage Overlay.
Recommendations
356 letter from Les Sanderson Little River Historical Society, 14 Oct 2014
along Edgars Road and extending 100m either side along Narraburra Road, McPhersons
Road and Bulban Road, and as dividing walls between paddocks as shown inFigure 156.
Figure 156: Proposed HO for stone walls along Edgars Road.
Ballan Road w alls
Figure 157: Repaired section of Ballan road wall with sugar gums
History
Thomas Chirnside purchased most of the land along both sides of Ballan Road around 1863-5,
having previously grazed it under pastoral licences. Only a few blocks escaped him Henry
Morgan Murphy bought Section XVIII, Alexander Wilson obtained the surrounding land, but was
an absentee landlord with his home and main property at Woodlands Tullamarine, Thomas
Hobbs acquired most of Section VII and VIII to the east of Chirnside on the river, and James
Anderson took the pre-emptive right for his Lollypop Ponds run on Lot B Section V, which
Chirnside appears to have subsequently acquired in any case.
As early as 1857, John and Robert Scott owned 266 acres south of Ballan Road (CA 1 Sec XIX)
Mambourin to the south and the family stayed in the area for more than 60 years, leasing land
from the Chirnsides, and purchasing some blocks to expand the farm. A bluestone house was
erected on Ballan Road before 1890 when Mary Ellen Scott occupied 2 acres in town allotments
in the Parish of Mambourin.357
The Parish Plan suggests Ballan road was initially intended to run around the west and south of
Anderson's pre-emptive right perhaps because Chirnside had tried to reduce the division of his
large Section VI block, but in about 1870, a two chain wide reserve was ceded to the Wyndham
Shire Council to put the more direct route through. Therefore, the section of fence in Section VI is
likely to have been built later than that to the north.
Description
The Ballan road walls are nearly continuous from the outskirts of Werribee to the edge of
Wilson's property. The walls are mainly on the north side of Ballan Road, and it is likely that
Chirnside initially only fenced one side of the road relying on gates to allow travellers through.
The Ballan Road walls link up with the boundary walls of Chirnside's original estate, with other
sections of wall marking the division between his land and Wilson to the northwest (wall 65) and
Hobbs to the east (walls 113, 601, 602).
There are extensive mature Sugar Gum plantations along large sections of the roadside within
the private property, indicating these were part of shelter belts planted, probably when the
Chirnsides began selling up the land.
Parts of the walls have been diminished in recent years as the eastern end has succumbed to
road widening and adjoining suburban development.
through Chirnside's Section VI. 358
Figure 159: North west end of Ballan road wall with boundary wall (65) to Wilson property.
Walls along Ballan Road mark the main road into Wyndham from the north west, signify the
earliest alignment of the route to Bacchus Marsh and demonstrate the extent of Chirnside's
pastoral estate. As well as the walls along Ballan road itself, adjacent walls are included in part
such as the firs 100m of walls 65 and 104. Wall 1309, at the southern end of the surviving group
of walls, is no longer sufficiently intact to consider including in the HO.
104 GV Y D 3 216986065 Ballan Rd
603 GV Y C 3 1771685 Ballan Rd
604 GV Y A 1 1771478 Wollahra Rise
605 GV Y A 1 1771688 Ballan Rd
606 GV Y B 3 219706008 Hobbs Rd
607 GV Y B 3 50242691 Ballan Rd
358 Victoria. Department of Crown Lands and Survey. Werribee, County of Grant [cartographic material] 1880. MAP
RM 2741/316.
608 GV Y B 1 50242715 Westbrook Homestead Rd
609 GV Y C 3 50263538 Unnamed
610 GV Y C 3 1771690 Ballan Rd
1369 1917 Army Survey N recent rem n/a 219716200 Ballan Rd
The dry stone walls along Ballan Road are substantial and almost continuous along the east side
of the road between
The Ballan Road dry stone walls are of historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Wyndham.
The Ballan Road dry stone walls are significant as demonstrating the influence of Thomas
Chirnside in the subdivision and development of grazing land around Werribee. As the main
access to Werribee and the railway from the north west, Ballan road was a prominent and busy
route used by many district farmers and so had commensurately substantial fences. The walls
are among the most extensive continuous lengths along any main road around Werribee and
serve as a distinctive gateway to the town.
Walls along Ballan Road mark the main road into Wyndham from the north west, signify the
earliest alignment of the route to Bacchus Marsh and delineate the separation of the Chirnside
and Staughton land holdings. Parts of the walls still stand to full height, and may have originally
been continuous full height walls from Cobbledicks Ford road all the way into Werribee.
Recommendations
along Ballan Road and walls extending 100m either side as dividing walls between
paddocks as shown in Figure 160.
Figure 160: Proposed HO for Ballan Road dry stone walls
Lit t le River Road - Old Melbourne Road Walls
Location: Little River Road, Little River between Old Melbourne road and the Princes Freeway
Figure 161: Stone walls on south side of Old Melbourne Road near the western end of precinct
History
A settlement was established at Little River in the first years of European occupation as the
location was well watered, and distant from the next nearest water supplies at Werribee River
and Hovells Creek. Initially a ford at the site of the present Rothwell Bridge, and then the
bluestone bridge of 1866 saw traffic converge at the Rothwell Village reserve, which was surveyed
in small lots. Farm lots, ranging in size from 43 to 168 acres by 1850, were surveyed on the better
soils to encourage agriculture in the Werribee area from the late 1840s onwards.359 However,
crop-raising was severely limited by the low rainfall. As a result sheep grazing became the
mainstay of the area.
Several alternative land routes crossed the Little River, one at Rothwell, another near the railway
line to the north, and a third south at the modern highway. The Rothwell crossing, with its
bluestone bridge, was the main route from the construction of the railway in 1860, to the
completion of the highway deviation opened by the CRB, when it became known as the old
Melbourne road. A new road was constructed in 1948 connecting the old Melbourne road to the
Devines Road corner. With the completion of the freeway connection in the 1970s, the section
east of the turnoff became known as Little River Road. 360
Description
359 James 1985: 21; Ronald 1978: 36

360 Parish of Bulban, county of Grant, Imperial measure, Crown Plans Department c1970. Public Records Office
Victoria.
Walls along both sides of Little River Road/Old Melbourne Road distinguish both the wide droving
road, and adjoining land owners. These walls are in some parts still standing to full height, and
may have originally all been all full height walls. The wall stop at the western end at the boundary
of the Farmers' Common, and at the eastern end at the point where the modern road works for
the freeway interchange may have removed them. It is likely that they originally continued to the
Geelong Road, where they may have continued along the former road reserve boundary for
some distance.
147 1917 Army Survey Y C 3 52401406 Little River Rd
319 1917 Army Survey Y B 3 203377455 Old Melbourne Rd
632 GV Y E <Null> 52401336 Little River Rd
633 GV Y B 3 2051576 Little River Rd
634 GV Y C <Null> 150978206 Little River Rd
639 GV Y C 3 203377455 Old Melbourne Rd
The Little River road/Old Melbourne Road dry stone walls are relatively intact almost continuous
line of stone wall on the south side of Little River Road leading to the junction between the roads
to Little river and Rothwell Bridge. The place includes a section of wall on the north side of the
road, and extending to the north east and south west of the main group.
The Old Melbourne road dry stone walls are of historical and aesthetic significance at the local
level to the Municipality of Wyndham.
The Old Melbourne road dry stone walls are significant as evidence of the former route between
Melbourne and Geelong, initially predating the railway, and the preferred route for the first two
decades of settlement. The alignment of the road was determined by the presence of a ford on
the Little River, which subsequently became the location of the Rothwell Bridge, named after the
first township. Rothwell was mostly abandoned when the railway came through and the town
relocated to Little River. The walls form a distinctive landscape due to the wide 3 chain road
reservation (indicating a stock route), elevated location and open countryside, which results in the
walls being much more prominent than they might otherwise be.
Recommendations
along Old Melbourne Road and adjoining 100m either side as dividing walls between
paddocks as shown in Figure 162.
Figure 162: Proposed HO for Old Melbourne Road Little River Heritage Overlay.

Adopted Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study 2015 - Final Word Version - February 2015 (A1008204)

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Adopted Wyndham Dry Stone Wall Study 2015 - Final Word Version - February 2015 (A1008204)

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Wyndham Dr y St one Walls St udy

Pr epar ed for Cit y of Wyndham

Biosis 2012 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au i

I am a dry stone waller

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 2

Cont ent s................................................................................................................................................................... 3

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................................... 8

1.1 Significance of dry stone walls ................................................................................................................................... 15

2 Int r oduct ion ................................................................................................................................................... 19

2.1 Project background ...................................................................................................................................................... 19

3 Back gr ound infor m at ion ............................................................................................................................. 23

3.1 Planning context ........................................................................................................................................................... 23

4 Hist or ical Backgr ound .................................................................................................................................. 25

4.1 Exploration & survey ................................................................................................................................................... 25

5 Hist or ical analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 48

5.1 Periods of construction ............................................................................................................................................... 48

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 3

6 Pr evious assessm ent s .................................................................................................................................. 61

6.1 Regional surveys ........................................................................................................................................................... 61

7 Recor ding ........................................................................................................................................................ 73

7.1 Field Survey .................................................................................................................................................................... 77

8 Significance assessm ent s m et hod ............................................................................................................. 79

8.1 Aesthetic significance .................................................................................................................................................. 79

9 Sur vey r esult s and hist or ical assessm ent ................................................................................................ 86

9.1 Truganina ....................................................................................................................................................................... 89

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 4

10 Sur vey Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 136

10.1 Recording ..................................................................................................................................................................... 136

11 Dr y st one w all planning and m anagem ent guidelines ........................................................................ 146

11.1 Conservation principles ............................................................................................................................................ 146

12 Managem ent Recom m endat ions............................................................................................................. 155

12.1 Conservation of dry stone walls .............................................................................................................................. 155

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 5

13 Planning Per m it Guidelines ....................................................................................................................... 162

13.1 General ......................................................................................................................................................................... 162

14 Maint enance and r epair of dr y st one w alls ........................................................................................... 174

14.1 Specifications for repair and reconstruction ........................................................................................................ 175

Glossar y................................................................................................................................................................ 187

Bibliogr aphy ........................................................................................................................................................ 192

Appendices .......................................................................................................................................................... 200

Appendix 1 Pr oject Br ief ................................................................................................................................. 201

Appendix 2 Assessm ent of her it age significance ...................................................................................... 205

Appendix 3 Sum m ar y of st at ut or y r egulat ions ......................................................................................... 209

Appendix 4 Cont act s & com m unit y pr oject s .............................................................................................. 212

Dry stone Wallers ................................................................................................................................................................ 212

Appendix 5 Walls r ecor ded in Vines 1990 St udy ......................................................................................... 215

Appendix 6 Maps of all dr y st one w alls in t he Cit y of Wyndham ............................................................ 218

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 6

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 7

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 8

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 9

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 10

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 11

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 12

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 13

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 14

Biosis 2013 Leaders in Ecology and Heritage Consulting w w w .biosis.com .au 15

1.2 Managem ent r ecom m endat ions

1.2.1 Conser vat ion of dr y st one w alls

HO30 Vineyard Estate

HO119 Skeleton Waterholes Reserve

HO38 Missen's farm