Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains

 

 

THE ESSENDON GARDEN ARMY

1942-1943

 

by Marilyn Kenny

 

 

The Essendon Victory Garden 25 February 1943. AWM collection ID No 137988.

 

As Essendon becomes home to 23 storey towers and the population reaches 120,000 it is hard to reach back to a time when the district was noted for its agricultural produce.  In the 19^th century it was an area well known for its waving cornfields, cherry orchards, a vineyard, nurseries, rose gardens, market gardens and some unusual specimen trees.  This however was very much a matter of old history when war came to Essendon in 1939.  There had been attempts to re green the city via tree planting programs and acquisition of civic parks but the character of the area was not one of green fertility.  This changed as the demands on the War effort began to affect everyday life.  According to the AWM Encyclopedia,

 

During 1942 food shortages began to have an impact on the Australian home front.  The agricultural industry was struggling with massive labour shortages, a severe and prolonged drought, and major shortfalls in imports of seed stock and fertilizer.  There was a growing realization that unless agriculture became a focus of the war effort, food shortages would be imminent.

 

In 1939 the UK had initiated the Dig for Victory campaign aimed at reducing Britain’s reliance on imported foodstuffs.  In early 1942 Prime Minister John Curtain launched Australia’s own campaign.  As a consequence the Garden Army notion was born.  This proposal came from the YWCA officer Phyllis Hindle; a New Zealander.  She had arrived in Melbourne in September 1941 to take charge of senior activities at the Y.  She had firsthand experience of the scheme in New Zealand.  The plan was that public authorities and others would provide land on which mass quantities of vegetables would be grown, the plots being tended by volunteers who would take care of planting, weeding and harvesting.  The scheme was regarded as the special responsibility of the YWCA as women and girls were seen as having spare capacity to engage in the task.  They were challenged to prove themselves serious and dedicated equal to English girls who had taken on Land Army work.  The target was the enrollment of 1000 women

 

Many people, mostly men seem to think that women will not do a job which has no glamour attached to it and which will mean hard and more often than not dirty work.  But the YWCA believes that the girls here can and will take up the challenge, and it is enlisting a women's garden army to grow vegetables and hopes to begin this work by the end of February.[1]

 

It was stressed that girls who had taken their recreation outdoors in sport could then spend time in the open air, and get the same amount of exercise, but instead of it being only for pleasure, they would be helping the total war effort.  The matter was critical as Market gardens that had previously employed over 20 men now were struggling with 6 or 8 workers.

 

Victoria's Garden Army scheme was officially launched by the Lord Mayor (Cr.  F.  Beaurepaire) at a public meeting at Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday, February 25 1942. The scheme was well organized with volunteers having to register and attend the series of four weekly lectures given by garden experts from the Department of Agriculture, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Vegetable Growers' Association, on the four Fridays in March.  The lectures held at the YWCA in Russell St.  Lectures for housewives began at 2.30 pm,  and those for business people at 7 pm.  The various areas of land lent in the suburbs were inspected by members of the Vegetable Growers' Association, while members of the Past Students' Association of Burnley School acted as supervisors, so that no ground or seeds would be wasted.  The scheme was open to all who had time to spare to dig; plant, weed, hoe and water and rosters were prepared.  Leaflets incorporating the essence of the lectures also were prepared and distributed.  

 

Essendon was not slow to respond to the notion.  At a meeting held in the Moonee Ponds Town Hall in March1942 it was decided that owing to the shortage of vegetables a Garden Army be established in the District under the sponsorship of the YWCA.  Councillors later agreed to make council land available for the growing of vegetables and to instruct council staff to prepare 5 to 10 acres in readiness for planting.

 

The location chosen was Fairbairn Park on the Maribyrnong River.  This land, 61 acres in total, had been purchased in 1928 for £7,777. It was named for Lachlan Alexander Fairbairn of Ardoch Towers Brewster Street, the founder of L A Fairbairn & Co,  Stock and Station Agents, and a member of St Johns Presbyterian Church Board.  Fairbairn, who had died in 1918, had been the owner of substantial tracts of land in the district.  Much of Fairnbairn Park land remained undeveloped.  It was on a flood plain, often swampy and regarded as only fit for rough grazing.

 

Most Garden Army land was ploughed by horse teams by experienced workers, and Essendon council staff did the cleaning, ploughing, harrowing and preparation of the beds.  Water pipes were also laid.  Onion seedlings were grown at the Essendon nursery as the first plantings at Fairbairn were to be of 10,000 onions in an area of three acres.  Other vegetables were to be planted later.

 

Work in the garden was carried out under the direction of the supervisor of the Council nursery James Leighton. Essendon Council assigned him to the position full time; the Essendon garden was the largest of the twenty municipal areas being worked by Garden Armies.

 

Leighton was a British gardener, born 1887, who had migrated to Victoria in 1922 with his wife Jessie and daughter Evelyn.  He had worked in private gardens before becoming a propagator and nursery man with the Council.  In 1946 he was promoted as Superintendent of Parks and Gardens for the City of Essendon, the third Curator of Parks and Gardens.  Leighton however had to retire in 1951 because of the poor health of his wife who was 13 years older.  Leighton was given three farewells, one by the Council, one by outdoor staff and another by office staff.  

 

The Councillors invited him to attend a special council meeting where he was honored with a seat beside the Mayor.  He was praised for service with a smile and cheery nature.  Cr Gibbs felt Leighton had extracted the best from inadequate and indifferent staff.  Leighton’s monument was said to be Ormond Park which, at the instigation of Council staff and a Citizens Improvement committee, had been upgraded during his time as curator.  

 

Indoor staff paid many tributes to Leighton as he was a pleasure to work with and supplied the office with flowers, especially begonias.  Fifty outdoor staff gathered in the Queens Park garden shed for the farewell. In presenting him with a wallet it was said that he was always concerned with staff welfare, helping to set up Council employee Benefits Club and assisting in implementing a Sick Pay scheme. James Leighton went through life making friends.  Leighton felt he had not finished his working life though he had retired from Council service.  He regretted he had to live in Brunswick and hoped to return to Essendon.  Eventually however he moved to Moe where Jessie died 1964 and James in 1980. It was considered that the success at Fairbairn was due to Leighton’s energy and enthusiasm.  

 

   Essendon City Council employees examine the crops grown by the garden army on their six acre plot,

2 December 1943. Perhaps this shows Cr Gibbs and Mr.  Leighton planning out the garden? AWM collection ID 137889.

 

The first plot of land at Fairbairn Park, prepared for use of the Essendon Garden Army was opened by the Mayor and Mayoress, Cr.  and Mrs.  Gibbs in late August 1942.  Over 100 citizens, many willing to lend a hand and enthused by visions of a plentiful crop, were in attendance and were told that the quota was 50 tons of vegetables.  Harold John Gibbs had been elected to the Council in 1939 for the Moonee Ponds Ward and had been appointed Mayor for 1941-1942.  

 

Harold Gibbs was born in 1893 in Violet Town and had served as an assistant rate collector in Essendon.  He had gained his certificate of competency as a Municipal Clerk and worked as Assistant Town Clerk of Essendon before moving to Geelong to become Town Clerk at Geelong West in October 1915.  He enlisted in the First AIF in early 1916 embarking later that year.  Geelong West Council paid Gibbs £1 a week during his term of service.  After enlistment, in August 1916, he married Ella Winfred Gerrard (b 1896).  Gibbs trained as a machine gunner and was twice wounded in action.  After the Armistice he paid for a private passage to return to Australia in late 1919.

 

 

In 1921 Gibbs, together with his wife’s family, established the Gerrard Wire Tying Machines Co.  This company patented, manufactured and sold wire tensioning, twisting and baling machines.  The business and its associates became extremely successful in this line of industry.  Gibbs did not return to Municipal duties but became a company secretary, later director, and established himself as a successful businessman.

 

Ella’s father was James Gerrard, the first Male Assistant of the Ascot Vale State School, who retired in 1917.  He remained actively involved with the Districts Schools and became President of the Moonee Ponds West State School Committee.  Gerrard took keen interest in the children and particularly in their sporting activities, donating prizes and awards.  Gerrard was also a life member and President of the Moonee Ponds Bowling Club.

 

The Gibbs family returned to Essendon living at various locations in Moonee Ponds and having three sons Donald Gerrard, Harold John and  Neil.  In 1934 the Gibbs built 41 Leslie Road, a  large distinctive neo-Tudor  mansion. The two eldest sons joined the RAAF on the outbreak of war.  Councillor and Mrs. Gibbs became very involved in a number of patriotic fund raising ventures.  Cr Gibbs took a wide interest in the self-sufficiency campaigns and was Chairman of the Vegetable Growing Committee.

 

 

Pupils of the Essendon State School working in the vegetable garden at Roselyn Court.

 AWM Collection ID Number 138827 1 May 1943. 

 

Grow your own was a constant theme throughout this time.  School children were encouraged to tend plots and at Essendon Primary the garden of the large home and reception centre Roslyn Court was made over to their agricultural pursuits.  The potential labour force for the Garden Armies was increased by the Cabinet decision to introduce raceless Saturdays throughout the Commonwealth.  For twelve months from September 1942 horse and dog races were banned on one Saturday a month.  Citizens were urged to devote the time this freed up to patriotic activities, work of real value to the nation such as the Red Cross, Air Raid Precautions and Garden Army. The Y advised that if habitual racegoers at a loose end they could spend an austerity Saturday afternoon and help Dig for Victory.  The Garden Army offered to absorb as many as 5,000 volunteers to weed onion beds, plant seed potatoes and every other type of garden work.  Previous experience was not of account as supervisors could find work for anybody willing to help in this important task  of growing every type of vegetable that is needed.  Those considering  donating their time were told that these vegetables were sold in the district in which they were grown and proceeds went to patriotic funds.  

 

In 1943 Prime Minister Curtin launched Grow Your Own as a further aid to the war effort.  This encouraged the home cultivation of vegetables and fruit.  The Agricultural Department through the local paper advocated that every citizen with a back or front garden should produce enough vegetables for his own use.  Any surplus could be sold through the Red Cross.  Suggested vegetables were carrots, parsnips, beet and other root crops.

 

In June 1942 YWCA arranged a Garden Army Recruiting week, which concluded with suburban Mayors attending allotments and ceremonially presenting these soldiers of the food front with their badge.  This was an image of three carrots surmounting the words Garden Army.

 

By October 1942 the Essendon Garden was being held up as an example of what could be achieved.  A visit on any Saturday afternoon to Fairbairn Park, off Maribyrnong River Bridge, would be an eye-opener for many.  All the land however was not being utilized because of a shortage of helpers.  

 

In Victoria the Garden Army eventually tended to 22 gardens in 20 suburbs with an enrolment of over 700 members, of whom roughly three-quarters were described as regular and reliable workers.  Ages range from 12 to nearly 70, men and women, boys and girls.  The response to appeals for more workers was not wholehearted even though there were constant complaints of the inability to buy and the high price of vegetables.  As well as recreation areas such as Wattle Park, gardens were established on the Yarra Bank and Victoria Barracks.  In Canberra the flower gardens surrounding Parliament House were given over to onions and peas.

 

By January 1943 ten acres of the 60 set aside at Fairbairn Park for the Victory Vegetable Garden had been planted and were under cultivation while another five acres had been prepared for planting of 120,000 onions.  Four acres of potatoes were planted by voluntary workers and another 1½ acres were being prepared for harvesting depending on market conditions.  A further 2½ acres were coming forward.  Thirteen acres of beetroot were being dug and 40 dozen per week being sold through local markets.  Pumpkins and carrots were thriving and the tomato crop was coming along well.  The cabbage crop was thriving.  By March 1943 Cr Gibbs reported that the garden at Fairbairn Park had produced 2,000 cabbages, 7 tons of potatoes (with a further 7 tons to be lifted), 7 tons of onions, 3,000 dozen carrots, 3,000 dozen beetroot and varying quantities of tomatoes, pumpkins, lettuces, and cucumbers.  Volunteers were then planting out 100,000 cabbage plants.  In November the cabbage crop was being picked and it was estimated that fourteen tons had been harvested and the ground would yield another 7000 vegetables.  After that the beetroot, potatoes and onions would be taken off.  The land was then to be rested over the summer months, and reopen the first week in March 1944.  

 

 

2 December 1943 Title Women garden army members proudly display some of the vegetables they have grown in their six acre garden, which is controlled by the Essendon City Council.  From the AWM Collection ID Number 137887

 

The Vegetable Garden Army November 1943 report presented to the Essendon Council showed that the following vegetables had been produced that season.  

Cabbages 22 tons (£132)

Potatoes 6¹/₂ tons (£91)

Onions 6 tons (£70)

Beet 1¹/₂ tons (2,000 bunches - £40)

Carrots (3,000 bunches £37/10/-)

Pumpkin 2¹/₂ tons (£5)

Tomatoes 1 ton (£3)

- A total of 39 tons of vegetables valued at £381.

 

The following vegetables were yet to be harvested

Cabbages

11 tons (£75)

Potatoes 11 tons (£100)

Onions 2 tons (£25)

Pumpkin and Root Crop 2 tons (£25)

- A total of 26 tons (£225).  

 

In October 1944 the Victory Vegetable Garden was closed because the need for growing vegetables had passed. Curator Leighton was to return the land to its natural state.  Essendon continued to support the war effort in many ways.  Ex-Prisoners of War were welcomed home and Essendon won the Pennant by over subscribing their target for the Third Victory Loan.  However the celebrations of the VE Victory in Europe were overshadowed by the news that the sons of two Councillors were missing in action.  Harold Gibbs had been called from a meeting concerning the planning of the Essendon and District Memorial Hospital to learn that his middle son Harold was missing after an air battle.  Flying Officer Harold Gibbs who was serving with an RAF Squadron in the South East Asia area lost his life in an air operation over Mandalay in Burma.  A concentration of heavy bombers made a devastating raid on the city preliminary to the 14^th Army's assault on the city.  His aircraft was downed in a flying battle with only two crew members surviving.   Although the incident occurred on 23 April 1945 his death was not confirmed until June causing immense distress to Ella Gibbs.

 

Harold John Gibbs from his RAAF file.

 

 

  

418529 Pilot Officer (later Flying Officer ( FO)) Harold John Gibbs, aircraft captain of Essendon, Vic, and 424425 FO Eric Rex Loton, navigator of Vaucluse, NSW, two RAAF members of No.  99 (Liberator) Squadron, RAF.  These two airmen took part in a record-breaking raid on Mandalay on January 13 1945, and were later both killed in operations over India on April 23 1945 while serving with 99 Squadron. Australian War Memorial Collection ID No SEA0106

 

The Gibbs family presented two memorials for their son.  The first was a Cross of Remembrance dedicated in the Moonee Ponds Methodist Church in 1949. They also commissioned a stained glass window, depicting St. Michael, in the Gladstone St Methodist church which was ceremonially unveiled on his anniversary in April 1955.

 

Gibbs served a second term as Mayor of Essendon 1948-49. At the 1949 Mayoral Ball 1,000 guests admired the stage decoration, a reproduction of the main façade of his Leslie St home.  Leighton was responsible for this novel set piece.  Harold Gibbs was politically active, becoming first President of Essendon Liberal Party sub-branch in 1945, standing unsuccessfully for the Melbourne City Council in 1947 and Federal Parliament.  He and Ella had travelled overseas pre-war and continued to undertake lengthy trips including a nine month world tour in 1950.  Gibbs stepped down from Council in 1957 and died in 1969.

 

In 1946 ECC prepared a development plan for Fairbairn Park.  It was hoped that it as a sports and recreation area it would incorporate football grounds, cricket facilities and a golf course.

 

In 1951 a vegetable shortage led the Housewives Association to suggest that vegetable plots be established on vacant railway land. Cr Gibbs threw cold water on the idea saying, 

 

The Essendon garden ran at a loss.  Voluntary workers worked only when it suited them.  They worked well on pleasant Saturday afternoons, but left it to the other fellow during holiday time or unpleasant weather with disastrous results.  If we started again, I think it would end the same way. [2]

 

The garden movement languished until it was revived in 1977.  Essendon now has eight community gardens where hundreds of families and individuals come together to grow their own.  The Essendon Community Garden, established in 1978, is the second oldest community garden in Victoria.  

 

©Marilyn Kenny 2016

 

References

Essendon Gazette, Argus and Age newspapers

Chalmers R Annals of Essendon, Essendon Historical Society, Moonee Ponds. 

Jones A, Follow the Gleam, Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2000

Moonee Valley Community Gardens

National Archives of Australia, Service records

Web pages:  Australian War Memorial  

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[1] Argus 4 Feb 1942.

[2] Argus 9 Nov 1951.