Some of the original Geelong land holders began to look around to increase their holdings. They began to occupy land that was further south which had previously been rejected as not suitable for their needs.
The large blocks sold in the 1840s and 50s to a small number of pastoralists were split into smaller allotments suitable for farm properties in the 1860s. Until this time, the settlement of Spring Creek was largely an agricultural area also known as an ideal fishing location. Spring Creek was regularly visited by fishermen and picnickers from Geelong. By the mid 1860s, Section 65 in the Spring Creek area had been subdivided into 25 allotments. Andrew White purchased a number of allotments, including Lot 19, on January 01, 1867.
In the 1880s, the Township of Puebla was surveyed which included the land stretching from Anderson Street to the recreation reserve near the mouth of Spring Creek. Further subdivision occurred and on January 31, 1866 Lot 19 was part of the “Spring Creek Estate” land sales.
At the moment our research cannot confirm who purchased the allotment at these sales, but we do know that from 1891 to 1897 Harold Harwood, a Geelong solicitor owned the allotment known as Lot 54, Spring Creek Estate. He also owned the adjoining properties of Lots 55 and 56. Harold sold the land to George Strong who also acquired Lot 57.
The following year all four lots were sold to William Pickon Carr, a real estate agent from Geelong. William paid rates for at least one house on these four blocks. In 1900 the properties were sold to George Frederick Taylor a builder from Geelong; then two years later George sold house and land of allotments 56 & 57 to James Grant. The South Barwon Rate Book the following year (1904) shows that George Taylor’s land of allotments 54 and 55 each had a house on them, one being “The Links”.
George F Taylor (not related to the other Taylor Family of Torquay) sold Lot 55 to Frederick Annear in 1912 who kept ‘The Links’ until 1917 when he sold it to Joanna Moodie who then sold the property to Roberta Evans in 1921.
Roberta and her husband Jim used the house for holidays from their work at the well known ‘Evans & Evans Big Store’ in Daylesford.
Roberta renamed the property “Happy Days” which she kept until 1945 when she sold to Albert Freshall, an auctioneer from Mildura. Roberta also had two bathing boxes in her name listed as number 144 and 145 in 1944.
Photos from Evans Family Album of "Happy Days" on Zeally Bay Road, contributed by Andrew Jones
A couple of years later (1947) Roberta built a house at 43 Anderson Street which the family named ‘Yileen’. About nine years later the house was sold and Roberta moved to Ballarat, next door to Betty (her eldest daughter). Andrew (Betty’s son) tells us how he remembers going next door to watch TV just after it started – “Snowing outside, snowing on the screen!! Such was reception in those days.”
Roberta later bought 36 Central Ave, Torquay as a holiday house for all the family. Named “Lazy Days” it was sold in about 1998. Betty and Bill moved into the house from (16 Follett St.) Ballarat in 1994. Andrew wanted to call the house “Final Daze” but it was not accepted favourably by the family!
Photos contributed by Andrew Jones
Fun at Torquay Beach from the Evans Family Album contributed by Andrew Jones
