On the road Part 2

Continuing my recount of our recent driving holiday, after our stop at Colac, we then set off to drive to the town of Terang where my grandparents lived in the early years of their marriage (first part of 1920s) and where my mother was born in 1924. In the mid 1990s whilst on a driving holiday back from Adelaide to Melbourne with my first husband and our young daughters we detoured from the Great Ocean Road so I could see the town of Terang and take photos of landmarks for my mother. 

But before we left Colac we drove out to Lake Colac.

It’s quite a large lake actually; very peaceful when we were there...and cold too.

Then it was time to head off towards Terang. Unlike the trip in the 90s in which we were driving from Adelaide, this time we were driving towards Adelaide, or it may have been a time factor then, but whatever the reason, the town of Camperdown was missed that time. But not this time. We stopped and walked around the main street. 

Lovely old buildings...

This clock tower was built by a family to honour a relative...pretty impressive private memorial which gives the public a lovely amenity.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2011/06/23/3251692.htm




Gardens too in the swathe of parkland in the main streer which included a war memorial.

One of the really interesting historic buildings in Camperdown is the Post Office. It was originally a single storey building and dates back to 1863.

But soon it was time to head off again; to Terang. This visit was specifically to explore places where my family lived. This visit though, I was taking advantage of modern technology, especially information technology. Using the electoral rolls on Ancestry.com.au, I was able to trace where my grandparents had lived. Admittedly there is a big drawback with early electoral records where only the street is mentioned...no numbers. But this limited information would still put me in the general vicinity of where my recent ancestors lived. 

So we drove up Mortlake Rd, Terang which was entry in the roll...it’s a long road but I stopped and took photos. 

So no idea which house of course...

But Nana and Pa moved a few times according to the rolls.

The year my mum was born, the rolls gave the family’s address as Blackiston St, which runs off Mortlake Rd and it was a tiny street with only a few houses.

The little street ended and ran into farmland; possibly still just like it was in the 1920s

another address was Hambden St...

We parked in the main street and walked around the town...

My Pa’s family ( on his mother’s side) were originally from Scotland so I just had to take a photo of this plaque! 

Quite an impressive brick building 

And here’s something that is rarely seen these days, an old fashioned Drapery shop!

Lawn Bowls anyone? 

And then we drove around the town to the landmarks that I’d photographed for my mother all those years ago. The convent school where mum and her sister were educated in the 1930s. 

My mum used to intrigue with her stories of her school days. Sadly the cruelty of the nuns was always at the forefront of her reminiscing; perhaps she exaggerated but probably not. My mum was left handed so was hounded to write with her right hand so school wouldn’t have been too pleasant. Also she recounted how the nuns refused to call her by her given name as it wasn’t a saints’ name. Luckily her middle name was that of a saint so they called her that.Around the side street from where I took this photo, showed a lot of new buildings showing how the school had grown since the 90s but it was lunchtime and that’s not a good time to take photos of a school! 🥴

Next photo stop was Bowman’s Hotel a one time big employer in the district...

Sadly it looked like it was no longer in operation but had been thriving in that last visit; a bit dilapidated looking now.

The station is still there and has regular services...

nonetheless.

And that was our trip to Terang; a quick trip, although not as rushed as my first visit there. If my mum and aunt were alive to see the town I think they would still find so many landmarks of their childhood. A charming town.