1ST WEST HEIDELBERG SCOUT GROUP – POTTED EARLY HISTORY

 

Mid – 1954

 
 
Starts life as 1st Baynesville

Foundation Leaders include:

·         Shirley Anderson (Bagheera) (Cubs)

·         Ken Sharp (Baloo) (Cubs)

·         ? McBain (Group Scout Master)

Foundation and early Wolf Cubs include:

·         Adrian Walsh

·         Allan Williams

·         Robert Mott (dec)

Foundation and early Boy Scouts include:

·         Brian Williams

 

Scarf is half red and halk yellow with Heidelberg District badge on the peak.

Wolf Cubs meet initially in a private home in Waterdale Road and then move to the Council-owned hall on Burgundy Street.

Group is given a block of land (by Heidelberg Council or Housing Commission) on Waterdale Road )?) but is not built on.

End-1956

 

Group closes and goes into recess

Money, equipment and block of land held in trust against possibility that Group might be restarted.

Youth members farmed out to other local Scout Groups including 1st Bellfield, 1st Heidelberg and Ivanhoe Groups.

Block of land is reacquired by the Housing Commission. In its place three blocks are provided. One is in Liberty Parade which later becomes the site for 1st Olympic Village. The other two are side-by-side. One is the current hall site and the other the corner block on which the White’s house stands. The corner block is sold and the money held for the Group.

 

Early-1959

 
 
Group restarted as 1st West Heidelberg

Bill Ager arrives in local area and decides to restart 1st Baynesville.

Bill identifies Adrian Walsh (now a patrol Leader with 1st Bellfield) as a former member of 1st Baynesville and invites him to return to the Group as an experienced Scout and to be the PL of the first of the new Patrols to be formed.

Nobody is sure where the original name “Baynesville” comes from. Noted that an early GSM was “Mcbain” and since there is a chance it was named after him or family decided to use the new name of “1st West Heidelberg”.

Scarf chosen of royal blue with gold and silver edging (still used today).

First Troop meeting held at Bill Ager’s home (Swanston Street) on Saturday 13 June 1959. The Patrol chooses the Kookaburra as the Troop emblem (still on the Group scarf and the name of the eventual hall – “Kookaburra Lodge”). First patrol is the Emu patrol.

Foundation and early Leaders include:

·         Bill Ager (Wings) (Group Scout Master)

·         Bill Kennon (Charka) (Scouts)

·         Brian Williams (Numa) (Scouts)

·         Ron Nyman (Scouts) (Dec)

Foundation Patrol was:

·         Adrian Walsh (Patrol Leader)

·         Allan White

·         Brian Kennon

·         Ian Ross

·         Robin Wassell

·         Tony Ager

·         Charles Rich

 

(Lots more details of the doings of the Troop over the next couple of years are in the Log Book maintained from the first meeting until September 1961. The original of this has been lodged with the Victorian Scout Heritage Centre; photocopies are available.)

 

Can you add to (or if necessary correct) this history for our 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2004? Send your memories to Brian Smith or Adrian Walsh - we promise full credit!!!