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1934

Tucker’s social welfare philosophy expressed in plans for new hope through self-supporting farms - employment & a community for single men, a village settlement for married families (Darling)

 

(Late in 1934) Fr Tucker purchased 45 acres of scrub and farmland, with a dam and a house, at Carrum Downs for £1200. A chance meeting with G.J. Coles, co-founder of the Coles chain stores, led to Tucker explaining his scheme for unemployed men that would also train young priests in working with disadvantaged people.  In response to Coles’ offer of help, Tucker asked for £500. Coles responded in a few days “Make it work and I will give you £500 in six months time.”  Tucker also rented an adjacent farm and farmhouse for 12/6d a week.  After Coles’ visit to the Settlement six months later the cheque arrived. ^[1]

 

1935

Establishment of Carrum Downs Settlement for unemployed families

 

In March six unemployed men arrived in charge of a lay brother and began clearing the land.   The first family arrived in July 1935

 

Official opening of the Settlement on Saturday, 5 October 

 

Blessing of the Settlement on Sunday, 27 October

 

Interesting Blog by Casey Cardinia Heritage about the district of Carrum Downs

 

1941

Employment of a social worker, Miss Imrie, to work part-time among women and children at Carrum Downs. ^[2]

 

1946

Carrum Downs Settlement converted to independent living accommodation for aged persons ^[3]

List of staff at Carrum Downs- Bro Coaldrake, Father Edwards, Miss Whyte, Mrs Anderson, Mr Russell, Mr Sheedy -extracted from report to the BSL Board, August 1946

 

1948

Tucker moves to Carrum Downs

 

1949

Situations Vacant:  Salary - the satisfaction of helping with a worthwhile job at Carrum Downs.  Bungalows are going up, but scrub has to be cleared and paths made.  For this we need the help of young men who would be prepared to devote a week-end now and again. ^[4]

 

1951

‘Food for Peace’ campaign (later Community Aid Abroad) founded by Father Tucker at Carrum Downs ^[5]

 

The first section of Collins Court opened at Carrum Downs, providing residential care in 12 units for people unable to care for themselves (October)^[6]

The Settlement Library begun by Miss Foster with a few books purchased from Myer ^[7]

 

1952

The “Cottage Hospital” opened on the Settlement, with two two-bed wards and accommodation for staff built and equipped by the Melbourne Junior Chamber of Commerce (September) ^[8]

 

The Settlement residents open a resident-run store, the Tucker Box  ^[9]

 

1953

 First Annual Fair held at the Carrum Downs Settlement on 21 November ^[10]

 

The Tucker Box, a residents-managed store, opens at the Carrum Downs Settlement  ^[11]

 

 Four single cottages built on the Carrum Downs Settlement, as part of a self-financed scheme for the original owners known as the Finance Cottage Scheme; these cottages passed to BSL ownership on the death of the original occupants^[12]

 

1954 

Kimpton Court, an avenue of self-contained apartments for single elderly men, opened at Carrum Downs ^[13] 

Building of a new hospital on the Settlement commenced with the assistance of a grant from the Hospital & Charities Commission ^[14]

 

1955

£50,000 Silver Jubilee Appeal launched as a Talent Drive based on the parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew (Ch 25, verses 14-30).  At a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall, addressed by Father Tucker and the Reverend Geoffrey Sambell, one thousand £1 notes were given out to individuals to put to good use on behalf of the Brotherhood.  Model cottages had been made and painted at Carrum Downs as collecting boxes  ^[15]

 

New Community Centre (including a hall, sanctuary, library, cafeteria, handicraft room and shop) opened at Carrum Downs.  The building that housed the library and billiard room was funded by the Voluntary helpers Shop, Camberwell.  Population of the Settlement reached 160^[16]

 

Twenty new buildings completed at the Carrum Downs Settlement during 1954-1955.  The self-financed scheme at Carrum Downs, known as the Finance Cottage Scheme , came to an end after 34 had been built closes because of “the tremendous demand for homes and the number of people desirous of financing their own accommodation

 

1956

The second section of Collins Court opened at Carrum Downs, completing the circular design of the building commenced in 1951 ^[17]

 

1958

The Carrum Downs Settlement Residents’ Committee, through the Industries Subcommittee, arranged a contract with General Motors-Holden of Dandenong for the enveloping and sorting of 15,000 monthly journals. ^[18]

 

The first “Better Way” cottage opened at Carrum Downs in May.  Three new cottages were financed by the Voluntary Helpers’ Shop (Camberwell). ^[19]

 

1957

January 1957 a Bell Tower was erected in memory of the later Mr Edward Martin, a benefactor of the Brotherhood. The thirty-foot high belfry was made of three white painted steel rods and erected near the settlement's chapel and communal dining room. The bell began it's career in a sailing ship trading between England and Australia. Then it was attached to a school at St Peter's Church of England, Eastern Hill before being passed on the the Brotherhood and spent the next 20 years hanging from a gum tree at the settlement. The bell was used to call residents to worship and meals. ³³ Photo from BSL library photo collection

 

1959

St Laurence Park, Lara, opens with 4 cottages on 3 October 1959. ^[20]  Fr Tucker, aged 75, leaves Carrum Downs and becomes the first resident at St Laurence Park.

 

1960

The Carrum Downs Settlement Residents’ Committee, through the Industries Subcommittee, filled 143,000 envelopes for General Motors-Holden of Dandenong with the income contributing to the running of the Settlement^. [21]

 

1962

BSL staff and residents of Carrum Downs & St Laurence Park, Lara constitute a CAA Group.  Their contributions plus donations made to the BSL for overseas aid provide a welfare worker in a slum area in Poona and finance the visits to India of 3 young Australians to work in youth work camps organised by Service Civil International.  One of these was a member of the Brotherhood’s Children’s Centre staff who spent time in a nursery for Tibetan refugee children ^[22]

 

A resident couple in the Carrum Downs Settlement established the MET-L-WIK Industry, making metal wicks for kerosene appliances.  Halfway through winter over 500 dozen had been sold to hardware stores, contributing to the income of the Settlement. ^[23]

 

1964

Forgotten People Appeal to extend Brotherhood social services, only the second public appeal run by the Brotherhood. The target was £75,000 to help finance five projects - additional accommodation at Carrum Downs and St Laurence Park, Lara; an annexe to provide more beds at Carinya (many chronically ill people were being turned away); a research program into social welfare needs of the community; a visiting and occupational scheme for the “shut-in” elderly and physically handicapped people; and a permanent youth camp for young people from the inner suburbs. ^[24] 

 

1968

A system of domiciliary care was introduced at Carrum Downs for those in need of extra help in their cottages and gardens, provided by staff and voluntary helpers including a group of Peninsula Grammar School boys who visited the Settlement each Tuesday ^[25] 

 

Since beginning in 1954 the Better Way had financed the building of 13 accommodation units at Carrum Downs, Lara and Bendigo ^[26]

 

1969

Plans approved for the rebuilding of Collins Court at Carrum Downs ^[27]

 

1970

Neville Brooke, Associate Director, Services for the Aged, went on an overseas study tour to inspect geriatric services, leading to an evaluation of the Brotherhood’s services for the aged.  The need for “personal care type of accommodation (was identified) and plans are well under way for hostels at Carrum Downs, St Laurence Park and St Laurence Court … The accent is on rehabilitation and a move to hostel accommodation is not necessarily permanent … We now accommodate over 400 elderly people … There were 466 applications for accommodation this year, 216 for personal care.”  ^[28]

 

At Carrum Downs “old Collins Court was demolished … pending the completion of a personal care hostel.  This will have 30 single bed-sittingroom units and community and recreational areas.”  ^[29]

 

1971

Completion and opening of the personal care hostel - Cox Court Hostel - at Carrum Downs.  Building of a similar hostel commenced at St Laurence Park, Lara.  ^[30]

 

1985

G K Tucker Settlement, Carrum Downs, celebrated its 50th anniversary; an anniversary service was held in October ^[31]

 

1987

Carrum Downs cottage redevelopment project officially opened - 22 new cottages constructed, a number of existing cottages renovated - jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government and the BSL Peninsula capital appeal^[32]

 

 1990

Father E.T. Selwyn Reynolds, one of the original Brothers of the Brotherhood died at Carrum Downs ^[33] (January)

 

A stained glass window was commissioned for the Chapel at Carrum Downs, depicting the martyrdom of Saint Laurence.  This was designed by Alan Sumner, who although sharing the same surname, was not related to Jessica Sumner (formerly Welfare Worker at the Coolibah Centre) after whom Sumner House (Fitzroy) is named  ^[34]

 

1991

The Kindergarten Integration Project was established at Carrum Downs to service the Peninsula and Westernport region, helping children with severe disabilities to integrate into normal kindergartens and avoid institutional care.  This was funded by the Commonwealth’s Special Education Program through the Victorian Department of Human Services.^[35] (February)

 

1992

Brotherhood makes land available on the Settlement to establish the Church of St Luke’s and a Childcare & Community Centre on Williams Road, Carrum Downs (first sod turned on 25 March)

 

The Settlement joined with St Luke’s parish to develop a community centre, including a local church and parish-based childcare services, on part of the property fronting William Road, Carrum Downs.  ^[36]

 

1993

Retail & Auxiliaries Manager, Thelma Tuxen, retired after 27 years with the BSL.  (Thelma’s father-in-law, Saxil Tuxen, an engineer, surveyor and town planner, worked with Father Tucker in the development of the Carrum Downs Settlement.  ^[37]

 

1994

The Carrum Downs Community Centre, first established at the Settlement, was relocated to the new Council Community Centre - the Lyrebird Centre - and the Brotherhood relinquished management as it became part of the wider Carrum Downs community^[38]

 

1995 

 60th anniversary of founding of the Settlement at Carrum Downs by Fr Tucker was celebrated on 5 October.  To coincide with the Jubilee of the Brotherhood’s activities on the Mornington Peninsula, the publication G.K. Tucker Settlement : an historical record 1935-1995 : 60 years with the Brotherhood of St Laurence at Carrum Downs was compiled by Ben Bennett, a Settlement resident.

 

1997

For a survey of the history of the Brotherhood's G.K. Tucker Settlement at Carrum Downs see the Frankston City Heritage Study 1997 at http://preview.tinyurl.com/25mmlck 

 

2009 - Closure of Cox/Collins court.

A partnership with Loddon Mallee Housing Services announced, which will result in the future in a mixed community of rented affordable housing for people on low incomes and privately owned homes at the Tucker Settlement.

 

In this way the Brotherhood’s legacy of affordable housing would continue at Carrum Downs, under the management of Loddon Mallee Housing Services.^[39]

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