An early view of Station Street. Number 6 is blocked from view by the tree in the foreground.
by Linda Fisher
Allot 16 Sec 6 Parish of Korumburra, County of Buln Buln. Original Crown Grant Vol 2058 Fol 521.
Purchased by Jesse Thomas Huntingford of Church St, Richmond on 20th of March 1888, for 70 pounds.
On the 20th of November 1902 Thomas Foristal of Korumburra, an engine driver, became the owner. Thomas had already owned the property next door, Vol 2110 Fol 879, now known as 5 Station St, since the 25th of August 1897. Sighted on the 1903 Electoral Roll, engine driver Thomas and his wife Blanche were living in Korumburra.
On the 16th of May 1904, Thomas Huddlestone Slater of Korumburra, a gentleman, became the owner, together with the property next door on the same date. The 1903 Electoral Roll has watchmaker Thomas, and his wife Alice, living in Bridge Street, Korumburra. The 1909 Electoral Roll just states Korumburra for both of them. A 1911 death notice for Thomas states that he passed away on the 9th of February at Milthorpe, his Bridge Street address, after a lingering illness.
On 19th of May 1910 Alice Slater of Korumburra, married woman, became the owner, also of both properties.
The story told to the current owner was that the house was built in around 1895 in Outtrim, a nearby coal mining town. After the mine closed in 1915, most of the houses were moved to either Korumburra or Wonthaggi. Story was that it was brought here on the back of a bullock and dray in 1918.
On the 31st of May 1918 the Allot 16 part of the property was sold to Elizabeth Warren, a widow. The 1931 Electoral Roll has Elizabeth living in Station Street with one of her daughters, Martha Ellen Warren.
Elizabeth died on the 12th December 1931 whilst in Warracknabeal. On the 14th of December at 3pm, her funeral left her home in Station Street for her remains to be interred with her husband Samuel, who had died in 1915, at the Korumburra Cemetery, Row T, Plot 76.
Probate of Elizabeth’s will was granted to her eldest son, William John Warren, a labourer of Korumburra, and he inherited Allot 16 on the 19th of January 1932.
On the 16th December 1932 Frederick George Arkell, bank manager of Korumburra, became the owner of the property.
On the 11th of July 1935 James Just Coleman, gentleman of Korumburra, became the owner. He was 67 years old, and according to the 1903 Electoral Roll had previously been an engine driver living in Korumburra. This property would have been an investment property, as James was residing at the Austral Hotel in the 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1943 Electoral Rolls, where he was recorded as being a Mine Proprietor.
According to Joseph White’s book The History of the Shire of Korumburra: “J.J. Coleman came from Castlemaine. In the early part of the century he became associated with Mr. Peter Hudson of the Austral coal mine, subsequently becoming part owner of the mine. For many years he lived in retirement at the Austral Hotel, taking a keen interest in sport and the affairs of the town… His last charitable act had been to give the last piece of land he owned, as described in his Will, to the Shire to be used as a park and pleasure ground for the use of the children of the town and district.”
The land is known as Coleman Park, and contains a playground, BBQ area and the Korumburra Cenotaph.
On the 14th of August 1941 Violet Beatrice Little, widow of Korumburra, became the owner of the property. She lived here, with her daughter, son-in-law and then her two granddaughters, for 32 years, until her death in 1973.
At this time, according to Violet’s granddaughter Pam, the house consisted of the original front four rooms—three bedrooms, with a short hallway into the lounge room. Then on the opposite wall was a doorway that went down a step into the kitchen. Straight ahead was the sink, just to the left of the back door that went down three steps onto the back porch. When walking into the kitchen from the lounge room, a combustion stove was on the right-hand wall, and on the left was the bathroom.
Entry to the laundry was from the back porch, and in 1963/64 the luxury of a flushing toilet was installed. The previous amenity was an outside dunny near the back gate to the laneway.
Violet passed away in 1973, and after probate of her Will, the property passed to her daughter Kathleen, who sold the property on 11th of December 1974 to Roger and Maureen Clark of Mair Crescent, Korumburra. Roger was an administration officer. The 1977 Electoral Roll has Roger and Maureen living at number 7 Station Street. At some stage after this the property became known as number 6 Station Street.
On the 14th of November 1977 the property changed hands to Robert and Elisabeth Holdsworth for $18,000. Robert was a school teacher.
Sometime between 1974 and 1980, the back half of the house was demolished, leaving just the original four rooms, and a new dining room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry were built.
On the 6th of January 1981, John and Janet Howard became the owners of 6 Station Street, Korumburra, with a purchase price of $24,000. Both were teachers, John at Korumburra High School.
In 1991, a full-width sunroom was added to the back of the house, with sliding glass doors going out to a small deck.
On the 24th of May 2002 the current owner purchased the property for $92,000.
In 2002 a powder room was added to the master bedroom. In 2018, the dated bathroom and separate toilet were gutted, and a larger bathroom with toilet was built. The old decramastic roof was removed, and the original corrugated iron that was underneath as well, and replaced with new corrugated sheets, and a matching bullnose verandah to complete the heritage look. In 2021 the house was painted outside in heritage colours and the back verandah was renovated.
This house has now been returned to its former glory.
Linda is looking forward to researching more local houses, and would love copies of photos that might be in your familyʼs collections. The house you, your parents or grandparentʼs lived in the early to mid 1900ʼs!
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