Daniel Crowley was an excellent horseman who was behind a bid to build a school in Narre Warren, as NEIL LUCAS explains in his latest look at the significance of place and street names in the region.
Crowley Avenue, Narre Warren
Daniel Crowley acquired 640 acres on the western side of Narre Warren North Rd to the north of Prospect Hill Rd in 1853. He married Ned Kelly’s aunt Kathleen Maloney. Crowley built a house on the western boundary of the property and paid 80 pounds for a right of way through to Princes Highway (then Gippsland Rd). This right of way is now Tinks Rd. Crowley farmed and bred horses – he was an excellent horseman. In 1857 Crowley was behind a bid to build a school in Narre Warren. Daniel’s family continued farming in the area.
John (Daniel’s son) and Jane Crowley were local residents living on the north side of the highway in Narre Warren. They had 10 children. Two sons, John and Norman, served in the Army during the First World War and their father John joined up later at an advanced age. After serving in France, John Snr was discharged deemed to be “permanently unfit due to overage” – he was 47 years.
Norman Crowley and his son (also Norman) both served in World War 2. On his return young Norman married Narre Warren North girl Valda Lowry. Norman Senior died in 1953 at the age of 72.
The family-operated market gardens in the Narre Warren North area established with water supply by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.
Abel Point, Rowallan Avenue, Harkaway
Eugene Abel and his wife Jane were market gardeners on a property named “Heathfield” at this site in Rowallan Road in the 1860/80s. The only other information to hand is, sadly, the death of their son Edwin who was found drowned in the Cardinia Creek in May 1871. The Abels moved to Gembrook where Eugene died in 1899.
Beaumont View Lane, Berwick
This lane is located on part of the former Ronneby Tree Farm (now Ronneby Advanced Trees at Ripplebrook in Gippsland). In 1992, a subdivision created three, 20-acre blocks with frontages to Beaumont Road.
In the early 2000s one of the 20-acre allotments was subdivided into smaller allotments creating this lane. Interestingly, the other two of the original 20-acre allotments at the end of the lane retain a Beaumont Road address.
