History
In 1864, at the west end of Doncaster a township was planned at
the intersection
of Doncaster Rd and High St. This was to be the centre for the
eight square mile Carlton Estate. It was given the name Carlton and was
listed in the 1864 Gazetteer:
Kennedy's Creek
A small hamlet had
existed in the aread from the 1840s, wth a store, blacksmith, bootmaker, school and hotel.
The name CarIton was never used, it was always called Kennedy's Creek.
In the 1840's, James Kennedy had a grazing run in the area. His hut
and stockyard was west of the creek. Although Koonung Creek was the
official name, during the first years it was referred to as Kennedy's
Creek.
Bridge
At first, travellers on Doncaster Rd had to ford Kennedy's Creek. In
1856 the Boroondara Roads Board built a bridge over the creek. The
contractor was William Williams who had built a hut in Doncaster Road in
one of the small blocks between Hender Street and the creek. Williams had a
store in his small hut and sold supplies to the few farmers in the area
and timber cutters working nearby. The store did not last long for
Williams left for New Zealand in the early 1870s.
On the south of Doncaster Road, alongside the
creek, a small water reserve allowed access to the creek where drovers
could water their thirsty cattle, and travellers had the opportunity of
giving their horses a much needed drink.
Alongside this reserve William Bogle built a four-roamed house, and
opened a beer shop in 1869. Three years later, Mary Meagher enlarged
Bogle's house. She built a large dining room and kitchen on the east
and extra bedrooms on the west. A brick parapet wall along the front
completed the building. She named it the "Morning Star Hotel".
Mary Meagher applied for a publican's licence in December 1872. Harry
Ogburn, who owned the "Long Hill Hotel", entered an objection. However,
the licence was granted and Ogburn was fined for prevarication. Four
years later a new publican took over the hotel and during the next years
it changed hands almost every year. The "Morning Star" led a colourful
existence. Rousing songs at the bar filled the evenings and drinkers
who stayed on after closing time risked a visit by the police.
Being on low-lying land next to the creek, the hotel was often flooded.
On several of these occasions the residents had to sleep on the dining
tables.
Kennedy's Creek became a forgotten township in the new century. The
schools closed in 1864 when Schramm's common school opened, the
bootmaker had left by 1870, the hotel closed in 1920, the forge closed
in 1890, and Edward Noonan stopped supplying goods from his store.
The Morning Star Foundry was
built on the site in the late 1940s opposite High Street. Iin about 1997 it was demolished to make way for the
extension of the Eastern freeway.
