HO82 - Melton Valley Golf Course
Yuille Street and Melton Valley Drive MELTON, MELTON SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Melton Valley Golf Course, Yuille Street, is significant for the variety of locally important historical themes and events that are associated with the place, and with the remnant fabric which represents some of these events.
The Melton Valley Golf Course, Yuille Street is historically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC A4, B2). The links retain unique evidence of some important themes and events in the history of Melton. The 1850 and 1855 graves and headstones of the Pyke brothers, whose pastoral station on Toolern Creek (then 'Pennyroyal Creek') was the foundation of the settlement of Melton. Evidence survives, in the form of remnant road pavements and domestic trees and underground tanks, of the original street pattern of Melton, before this flood-prone area was largely abandoned in favour of the higher land, mainly to the west of Yuille Street. Lynch's Cottage, Melton's first hospital, established by the locally revered Hannah 'Grannie' Watts', was historically a highly important domestic building on these streets. Archaeological evidence may also exist in relation to other properties for which historical documentation exists, notably the Melton Hotel, the first hotel in Melton, and the place of the first meetings of the Melton Roads Board (Shire Council) and the first court proceedings in the district. Other sites include those associated with notable local farming and community identities such as Hornbuckle, Minns, and Cecil, such as underground tanks, and cacti. Archaeological evidence of sites of other former places (eg the first 'Combined Church', shops and a Temperance Hotel) that have also been referred to in local historical literature may survive.
The links also has associations with events and themes for which no physical evidence is likely to survive, but which are nonetheless historically significant at the local level. The links now incorporates the former Town Common, which accommodated the first Melton school, and the first church building in the town (the combined Protestant church), and the Gun Club, in which international shooters Donald Mackintosh, and Hector Fraser were nurtured. The area of the links was also the original site of other important sporting events in the town, including horse-races, holiday athletic and cycling sports meetings, coursing events, and hunt club meetings.
A Pinus radiata locally known as the 'dairy pine' marks the site of the most successful of the extremely important bore water exploration ventures in the 1890s; this was later the site of a milk cooler.
The Melton Valley Golf Course, Yuille Street is of social and aesthetic significance at a LOCAL level (AHC E1). Numerous sites on the links were identified as places significant to the Shire in a Community Workshop.
The Melton Valley Golf Course, Yuille Street is scientifically significant at a LOCAL level (AHC C2). The site has the potential to provide archaeological information that assist in the understanding of early settlement in the town of Melton. The site also has a high potential to provide educational interpretation regarding the history of Melton.
Overall, the Melton Valley Golf Course is of LOCAL significance.
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HO82 - Melton Valley Golf Course - Physical Description 1
Physical Description -
The Melton Valley Golf Course is situated to the east of the town, in the area bounded by Yuille, Street, Melton-Gisborne Road, Yuille Street, and High Street. It is situated along both sides of the Toolern Creek, and extends to the small back creek that runs north-south opposite the Civic centre.
The area consists of the golf links, clubhouse and associated facilities. The part of the place west of the Toolern Creek once consisted of early streets subdivided as part of the Melton town: Sherwin, Walton, Pyke, Pinkerton and Bryan streets. The golf course retains some exposed road pavement associated with some of these former streets, notably Sherwin Street.
Remnants of several houses built in the area also survive: notably a small fig tree (Ficus carica) and underground tank near the clubhouse, and a nearby Monterey cypress in poor condition. There are reputedly several underground tanks remaining, and Minns house and Cecil's cacti are remembered by many.[1] A full survey of the links would likely identify such remnants. Archaeological evidence might also remain of the Melton Hotel, Lynch's Cottage (Melton's first hospital) and other former places. Similarly, the site of Melton's first church, the 'Combined Church' was on the corner of Sherwin and Bryan Streets.
An old map of the town shows that the Melton Hotel (the Old Melton Hotel), which was the town's first hotel, and the scene of the first meeting of the Melton Roads Board (the precursor to the Shire Council) was situated on the golf course, on the boundary of High Street approximately 105 metres east of Yuille Street.
To the east of Toolern Creek are the graves and headstones of William Pyke (died 1850), and George Pyke (died 1855).
A Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) tree near High Street marks the location of an important bore, whose now demolished windmill and tank were partly paid for by public subscription in the 1890s. This later became the site of a milk cooler.
[1] M&DHS Notes 'The Township on the Golfcourse' (nd).
HO82 - Melton Valley Golf Course - Historical Australian Themes
Melton Historical Themes: - 'Pastoralism'; 'Community'; 'Farming'; 'Water'; 'Transport'
HO82 - Melton Valley Golf Course - Integrity
Integrity - The Pyke graves are substantially intact, but most other places are damaged/disturbed relics of former places.
HO82 - Melton Valley Golf Course - Physical Conditions
Physical Condition - Good
Heritage Study and Grading
Melton - Shire of Melton Heritage Study phase 2
Author: David Maloney, David Rowe, Pamela Jellie, Sera Jane Peters
Year: 2007
Grading:
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