Scouting in Rowville – The Early Years

Bill Williams, a King’s Scout in his younger days, enthusiastically became our first Cub Leader. So in early 1970 six young recruits, Matthew Aston, Adam Cleary, Robert Mynott, Andrew Parker, Tony Power and Paul Tresise started out on a new adventure; Cubs.

Skipper having persuaded “The” Don Ockley to be Scout Leader and Ted “Chuck” Parker to be ASL, proceeded with recruitment of new scouts. The recruits, Mark Atkin, Stuart Macrae, John Polasek and Andre Snoxall, met for the first time in Don’s home on 21/2/72.

Rowville Group, known originally as 8th Knox West, changed name in March 1972 to 1st Rowville, along with similar changes for all other groups in Knox West District.

Scouters and scouts trained with 3rd Bayswater troop until the first recruits were invested. At the initial meeting at Scoresby scout hall on 4/5/72 Edward Clayton-Jones, Robert Mynott and Charles Robinson transferred from cubs to scouts. For the rest of 1972, meetings were held at Scoresby until early 1973 when the troop moved to the general purposes room at the newly constructed Rowville Primary School.

Going up ceremonies were always different and generally fun. At one ceremony Mums considered that the high and rather precarious looking rope bridge, constructed by scouts between two trees, was not safe enough for cubs to cross. The problem was solved when four strong Dads each held the corner of a safety blanket and walked below the cubs as they trod their shaky path into scouts. All made it safely.

On another occasion, in conjunction with jamboree on the air, Rowville cubs contacted scouts via radio, introduced themselves and shortly after were met and welcomed into the troop. This going up ceremony was on the same day that scouts of 1st Rowville used about 20 kites they had made to fly 800 metres of wire, in a paddock roughly where Murray Crescent is located today, as an antenna for the radio amateurs. This event was covered by ABC radio 3LO in their evening news broadcast! We nearly “lost” one young cub as he was dragged unceremoniously along the ground by a huge box kite!

In June ’72 Mark Gilbert, a scout with 4th Oakleigh-Monash troop, transferred to 1st Rowville. His parents, Brian and Val, also transferred into our Group as Cub Leaders and took over running our Pack. Four more cubs entered scouts in July: Adam Cleary, Tony Power, Robert Swan and Darren Thomas.

Fifteen scouts and a new leader, Eric Aldred, attended our first camp at Rhyll, Philip Island, over the weekend 28/10/ 72. This was a practice for our participation on 11/11/72 in the District camping competition which to our amazement, pleasure and delight, was won by 1st Rowville. By late 1972, Bunyip, Wallaby and Whip Bird patrols had been formed, led by Stuart Macrae, Mark Gilbert and Andre Snoxall.

Departure to camp on Saturday 20/1/73 was delayed as the north-east part of Rowville was virtually surrounded by bushfires which swept from the vicinity of Napoleon Road/Kelletts Road into the Lysterfield Hills and Churchill Park. Debris blown over Taylors Lane started spot fires in the long grass between Taylors Lane and Stud Road, the area now occupied by Stud Park Shopping Centre. Eventually 13 scouts, Skipper and The Don, spent 6 days amongst the kangaroos and wallabies on the banks of Eildon at Fraser National Park, fishing, swimming and fighting for meals with thousands of little flies.

On a pitch black night in a pine forest at Mount Macedon, our scouts were stalking quietly and stealthily the “eyes” glowing in the dark, only to discover they were stalking phosphorescent mushrooms!

PL’s training courses, camps in Police Paddocks, a ‘JOTA” (jamboree on the air) camp at Mount St.Leonard, where one patrol camped in a depression which became a lake over-night, and 10th Australian Jamboree at Woodhouse, South Australia provided plenty of fun in 1973.

The three 1st Rowville patrols of 8 scouts each achieved C grade camping proficiency at the Easter 1974 Stradbroke Cup camping competition at Gilwell Park. Later that year Skipper and his family left Rowville, Don Ockley took over as Group Leader, Ted Parker as Scout Leader, Laurie Lindsay and Gary Bodsworth joined as assistant scout leaders, Jennifer Lade, (now Kirk), a Queens Guide from the 1st Rowville Guides, entered Cubs as a Cub Assistant, the Gilberts moved from Rowville and Alan Matthews took over as Cub Leader.

Our Group was represented at 11th Australian Jamboree, Dandenong, Dec 1976/Jan 1977 in Police Paddocks, Rowville, by scouts Glen Brien, Mark Kochan, Stephen Lindsay, David Mynott, Andrew Parker, David Polasek, Tony Power, Matthew Power and Mark Wilkinson with Chuck as a Jamboree Troop Scout Leader. The Group put a lot of time and effort into preparations for this Jamboree, held right on our doorstep.

But most memorable of all were our visits to The Prom. In May of each year 1974-1976, 1st Rowville scouts camped for 10 days at Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory. In the first two years we were very lucky with the weather and had marvellous camps. We left for our third visit in foggy mist and set up camp in light rain.

More rain over the next nine days became progressively heavier and heavier. At home in Rowville, rain caused flooding of Corhanwarrabul and Dandenong Creeks cutting access via Stud Road both north to Ferntree Gully and south to Dandenong. Wellington Road also was flooded at the bridge cutting off access to the City. Rowville was isolated, and Gilligan’s shop was flooded!

Back at the Prom, as well as heavy rain, each hour saw increases in wind strength until after 9 days of gale force winds and an unbelievable pounding, we limped home with wet and broken gear, avowing never again to camp at Wilsons Promontory in May. Nobody who attended that camp will ever forget the howling winds at night, straining tent ropes, endless rain, snapping tent poles and ripping canvas; everyone but Rowville Scouts had left for home! Wet sleeping bags, fires in the campers retreat hut, cooking under great difficulties, camaraderie, friendships; these memories made the first years of scouting in Rowville sheer pleasure for all.

Girls entered scouts in Rowville in early 1977 when 1st Rowville Venturer Unit was formed with Chuck as Venturer Leader. Some of the early venturers were Matthew Aston, Tracey Brien, Adam Cleary, Robert Mynott, Andrew Parker, Tony Power and Simone Wapshott. At the end of the year Chuck and his family left the area, so Rowville combined with 1st Knoxfield venturers. Also late in l977 Neville Wilson took over for a brief period as GL.

Committee activities for the Group concentrated in the early years around weekend bottle drives which were a great source of revenue. Progressive dinners, dances and some very memorable “Games” nights added to the fun and helped supply tents and camping equipment. In the early days in Rowville there were many committees which served to bind the community together and set a foundation on which Rowville of today stands. Such committees were established to obtain reticulated water, to improve roads, to obtain schools and kindergartens, to set up baby sitting clubs and sporting clubs, and, of course, to establish Guide and Scout Groups.

It is with pride that we look back at two of our early scouts, Adam Cleary and Mark Kochan, both of whom went through Venturers and became Queen’s Scouts. Adam continued into Rovers and spent nearly five years as ASL of 1st Studfield scout troop. He still maintains a close association with scouting as a service auxiliary member and particularly spends time with a four wheel drive service auxiliary group.

Over the years many efforts have been made to obtain a permanent meeting hall for the Scout Group, until recently without success. Hearty congratulations are therefore extended to the builder and former 1st Rowville Group Leader, Stephen Griffiths, Group President Rob McLauchlan, the Group Committee, parents and supporters involved, for their drive and enthusiasm in bringing to the Rowville community a permanent home for scouting for generations to come. May the new building be always protected, respected and cared for by those young people who are fortunate enough to enjoy the facilities it provides.