Beulah - Historical Murals, Bollards and Street Art
Murals depicting Beulah's heritage scatter the township and a tour booklet can be purchased from the Beulah Business and Information Centre located in Phillips Street or downloaded.
Mural location details are:
Beulah State and Primary School Mural
Location: Corner of School Rd and Phillips St.
In 1890 a site was selected at "12 Mile Reserve" for a school at Beulah. In July 1891, Head Teacher, Mr. Daniel Taylor, commenced teaching with 52 pupils from Grades 1 to 8 in a building 22 x 14 ft. (7 x 4 m), located on a 2 1/2 acre block between Gladstone, Phillips & Bell Sts. and Corrong Rd ( Henty Highway). In 1892 the name was changed from Galaquil to Beulah because the school was erected within the boundaries of the Beulah township.
Due to over crowding, a closed school from Heatherlie near Stawell was removed and attached to the Beulah school in in 1893. Between 1901 and 1906, the flagpole was erected and the school was enclosed with a picket fence across the front, and a post and rail fence on the other three sides. Major renovations were carried out in 1910 and 1915, windows added, a new lavatory, painting and electric lighting installed.
For sometime, local parents were lobbying to move the school from the central business area to a residential site and on March 28, 1930 a new brick school with a tiled roof was opened on the Henty Highway with 200 pupils attending.
This mural was designed by the Grade 5 & 6 children in consultation with John and Eileen Glover who painted the former State School complete with flag pole. After a competition, 7 of the children were chosen to paint their ideas of school life over the century. Each of the children and staff from 2000 placed their handprint on the mural as a reminder of the present day pupils attending the Beulah Primary School in 2000.
Saleyards
Location: Situated corner of Phillips and Taverner Sts.
Built by the publican of the Victoria Hotel and occupying an area from Taverner St. to 42 Phillips St. (formerly J.Molony's).
This mural depicts a sheep, horse and chook sale in 1905. These yards were used until 1920's. Before that time, saleyards were also situated in Bodey's paddock (Fish's) north of the town. New saleyards were erected on Birchip Rd. in 1952 and there were stockyards in the railway yards.
This mural is taken from two photos and painted by Eileen and John Glover.
Road Construction, Bell Street, 1910
Location: Situated in Phillips St. on the former State Savings Bank Wall
Bell St. was named in honour of J. Bell M.L.C., a Parliamentary Representative for North Western Province, 1882 - 1904.
In 1910, the Shire of Karkarooc contracted Watkins & Griffin, Road contractors, to form Beulah streets with limestone and install brick guttering and red gum kerbing. The McKenzie family from the Wimmera and originally from Scotland, were the first to select land in the area in 1881. Their holding comprised land surveyed north and north east of the present town. They had a portion of their land between the Yarriambiack Creek and the Henty Highway and from Bell to Lascelles Streets divided into 70 town allotments. These were sold by public auction in 1890. This area was known as north of the "Twelve Mile Reserve". By March 1891, four new buildings were erected, one being Jeffrey's Temperance Hotel, later to become the Farmers Union Hotel.
Shops, generally with dwellings attached, were quickly built along the north side of Bell St. Pharez Phillips erected the first general store on the corner of Bell St and Henty Highway. A fruit shop, chemist, then Mrs. C.A. Lawrie's general store was established in 1891 on the corner of Bell and Phillips St. W.H. Coats Snr. bought the business in 1911 and operated until the 1930's.
George Lang and P.J. O'Donnell first set up a "smithy" under a large box tree in 1891, then moved to new premises at 19 Bell St. ( P. Gibson's) opening their foundry in 1894. A hay and corn store, wine saloon, cordial manufacturer, butcher shop and jeweller were also in business along Bell St. The first edition of the "Beulah Record and Mallee Advocate" was published on 17th March, 1894 by Mr. A.G. Lester.
Mr. C. Webb conducted his saddlery business next door to the newspaper office which was destroyed by fire in 1914. The local fire brigade purchased the site for a fire station from C. Upton.
A building known as the "Cottage" was attached to the Farmers Union Hotel (Western Aerial to F Mulrooney's). The original hotel was destroyed by fire in 1893 and rebuilt in brick, opening in June 1894. Beulah's first bank opened in temporary premises at the hotel in 1896. The Farmers Union Hotel was again destroyed by fire in 1940 and a "temporary bar" operated for a few years to be finally closed in 1949.
In 1911, Cranage Bros started a builders and contractors business in Bell St. opposite Lamplough's Hotel.
In the distance of the mural, looking east on the Birchip Rd, was a flour mill. Opened in 1896 by Gillespie & Co. and later owned by W.C. Thomas. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1911. Although the large tin shed containing wheat stacks was saved, the mill was never rebuilt. In April 1891, Beulah was proclaimed a township in the Parish of Galaquil, County of Karkarooc. When the railway line reached Beulah in 1893, the railway station opened. The government reserve had been surveyed, allotments sold and a State School built. The town businesses then gravitated towards the station with Phillips and Taverner Streets becoming the centre of town.
This mural is painted from an original by the Mural Painting Group.
Cust & Son c. 1920's
Location: Situated on Mick & Michelle's IGA Supermarket Wall, Corner of Phillips & Gladstone Sts.
1983 - Robert Bray built a small general store on the corner of Phillips and Gladstone Streets.
1897 - Cust and Hutchinson buy Bray's store in May. The partnership dissolved to become Cust and Son in August, 1897.
William J Cust erected a store in Rupanyup and set one of his four sons up as manager of the store at Beulah. James Cust was only 20 years old and five years later he married Emily Allen from Brighton. Their five children were born in Beulah and his daughter, the late Sylvia Cust writes in her book, "Mallee Roots to New Horizons", about the terrible drought at the turn of the century, when the banks began to write off the farmers as worthless and refused them credit and in desperation many of them began to walk off their holdings.
"To see so many of his friends unable to maintain the properties they had toiled so hard to establish grieved my father, who had always believed that Mallee land would come good as a wheat growing area." So with his father's full backing, he strongly urged them not to leave. "God won't fail you," he would tell them, "and by His grace we won't fail you either," further assuring them that Cust & Son would stand by them to their last penny. The drought broke in 1903 and brought in a bumper harvest, thus establishing the Mallee as a prime wheat growing area.
1908 - Extensive renovations carried out at the store
1911 - Cust's replace iron side and back walls with brick and renovate the interior
1918 - James Cust leaves and H. Schlichting becomes Manager
1922 - A.G. Cust succeeds Schlichting as Manager
1927 - Cust & Son sell to Beulah & District Stores Ltd (a company of local shareholders)
1952 - Leo Howard, former manager of Beulah & District Stores, becomes owner.
1983 - Bill and John Howard take over from their father Leo
1988 - Bill and Marj Howard become sole owners of the business
1999 - Mick and Michelle Blackwood take over the store from Michelle's father and mother, Bill and Marj Howard and it becomes an IGA Supermarket
This mural was painted by the Mural Painting Group
Phillips Street 1954
Location: Situated on top of Beulah Cafe, Phillips Street
Business Houses in Phillips St. 1954
Left side - Hose's Cafe; CBC Bank; Poynton's Beulah Newsagency; NZ Loan Agents, Ralph and Ron Brain; R.C. Buckley, Stock and Station Agent; D. Coates, Beulah Pharmacy; State Savings Bank of Victoria; Dalgety's Stock Agents; Stanhope Bullen, Solicitor.
Right side - Howard's Beulah Stores; R. J. McKinnon, Menswear; B. Jacka, Baker; Mrs. Cozens' frock shop; Mrs Pop Harris' residence; A.R.K. McFarlane, General Grocers; Col Natt and Ralph Brain, Butchers; Archie Sotos' Cafe; CBA Bank.
Middle - Victoria Hotel, Proprietor, W. R. Morris.
Background - Wheat Silos erected in 1939
This mural was painted by the Mural Painting Group
Arthur King
Location: Situated on the IGA Supermarket wall, corner of Phillips & Gladstone Streets.
Born at Warracknabeal in 1892. His parents, Thomas and Ann King were market gardeners. He enlisted in the Army during the First World War, spoke several foreign languages and hated the children if they called him 'Kruger King'.
He lived the life of a recluse, met all the trains, playing hymns on his cornet or singing and had a terrific memory for past history. Arthur found many items of lost property, returning them to their owners. He took his old cart to the tip every day, bringing home many useless items. He died in 1971 and is buried at the Beulah Cemetery.
This mural was painted by Eileen Glover and presented to Beulah at the official opening.
2006 Commonwealth Games Commemorative Walking Track and Sporting Bollards
The idea of the specially formed committee "the Beulah Getting Involved Committee" was funded by a Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Grant, which was the inspiration behind the bollards being a sporting theme.
Working bees and over 300 hours of volunteer work was put into the project by entities such as the Beulah Lions Club, Beulah Primary School parents, staff and students, Beulah sporting groups, art group as well as other individuals including artist in residence, Glenn Critchley of Horsham.
The seven sporting bollards around a section of the Yarriambiack Creek at the Beulah Recreation Reserve depict local sporting organizations - a footballer, tennis player, croquet player, lawn bowler,
netballer and cricketer.
There is also a bollard of a Beulah 'Blue Flames' cyclist located at the Henty Highway Truck Stop where the History of Farming mural is located, which celebrates cycling in the region over the years but particularly honours the success of the Beulah Blue Flames.
Federation Quilt
As Federation approached, the Beulah Patchwork Group decided to make a pictorial quilt to commemorate 100 years of the history and buildings of Beulah. Many photos were taken, photocopied and enlarged for placement.
The station is the central building as this is where the group meet. Other main town buildings are included as well as cropping and harvest blocks. Much discussion and 'fact and fabric' finding trips had to be taken to complete the project. Many techniques were used including hand and machine piecing, embroidery, applique, fabric painting and also printing on fabric.
The top border depicts a sunset and the bottom border has the Yarriambiack Creek and mallee trees. The side borders feature birds and flowers common to the area.
This magnificent quilt may be viewed in the meeting room of the Beulah Business and Information Centre, 77 Phillips St, Beulah, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Note: Information about murals is from beulahvictoria.com.au
Horse Mural by Kaffeine
There is a mural of two horses in full flight by Kaff-eine on an old butchers shop adjacent to the Victoria Hotel, 11 Taverner Street.
Beulah Town Hall Mural
The Beulah Town Hall on Philips Street is adorned with artwork by Kitt Bennett and French artist JAW. They recently teamed up to create this bright array of kangaroos, sheep and sheep shears, capturing the colours of a morning sunrise.
Location
Phillips Street, Beulah 3395 Map
Web Links
→ Mural Booklet (PDF)
→ Map of Beulah (PDF)
