I posted a yarn a couple of days ago about my father Wilhelmus Johannes "Bill" Titulaer, and who came to work in Yallourn in about 1950?, in the SEC office/ showroom. This additional story is really a bit "peripheral" (on my knowledge of it) DIRECTLY to Yallourn, however there will be others, perhaps even RELATIONS, who will know "more" about this. So I travelled to Bairnsdale last weekend just gone, and as I came past the Yallourn North/ Newborough exit off the freeway, I am sure there was a sign indicating also "Gunns Gully", and which really indicates the "locale" of the BP service station, and which has been there for "forever and a day"; and, on my recollection of it, even from very early days, has always been a BP branded service station. (Perhaps it is also the case that the locale of Gunns Gully, as opposed to the petrol station, is also e.g. a/ the bus stop/ pick up point, I simply don't know).
Anyway, what I DO remember, is that the Gunns Gully BP servo etc., was owned/ proprieted by a quite nice/ personable bloke named Harvey Gunn, (thereby presumably having given rise to the "Gunns Gully" name...., at some stage), and my father must have known him, because in later years, he used to come up to the speedboat races/ racing at Paynesville near Bairnsdale, and we would catch up with him, and my recollection is that he had this wickedly fast racing speedboat, called Hoodoo?, or Voodoo? maybe, and various members of our family went out for a "blast" around the Paynesville speedboat race course, in this boat, with Harvey.
So look it may be that because of his/ the geographical position he was more associated with Newborough than Yallourn etc., but it would be interesting to know what historical connection if any he had to Yallourn and its formative years etc., and e.g. when the locale was actually first designated "Gunns Gully". So I pass back and over to those who have much greater and better local historical knowledge than me, however, next trip to Bairnsdale, I will make the time to "take the detour", and see what the current proprietors? can tell me, i.e., "if anything". It'll be interesting........
Regards,
Anthony ("Tony") Titulaer
10/ 10A Byng Avenue,
HEATHERTON VICTORIA 3202.
0402 001 956, AH (03) 95582299
EMAIL: tt.media@bigpond.com
"COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME..."