Rumbelow & Descendants

Yeltanna

The Rumbelows first substantial stone house "Yeltanna" (meaning cool place), was built in the 1880s next door to the Crystal Palace cottage, where the grandfather and grandmother were living.

Yeltanna was sited across the from the dunes where the original Rumbelows fish shed. By 1883 Malen Rumbelow is recorded as the owner/occupier of the house with an existing rateable value of £7.

The facing was built from granite rocks that was cut from the islands and the trimmings from the granite blocks that built into the of South Australian Parliament House. It was decided to use local material - marble from Kapunda and granite from West Island (near Victor Harbor) - for the building.

As the family expanded and lived close to each other, their group of homes became known locally as 'Rumbelow Town'. In 1918 Rumbelow Town consisted of six or seven homes.

Photograph of the Malen and Mary Rumbelow, pictured with their adult children on the verandah of their home 'Yeltanna' in Franklin Parade, Yilki (Encounter Bay). Alice Rumbelow is standing third from left. The wooden building in the background (right) is the older Rumbelow Home 'Crystal Palace'.

The Rumbelows of Encounter Bay

Extract

A substantial house, Yeltanna, was built in the 1880s next door to Crystal Palace. It was built was by Malen junior from stone obtained from West Island near the Bluff - an island which Simpson Newland describes as 'only a few acres in extent and principally composed of granite boulders.'

The men who provided the stone would be rowed across to the island every Monday by the contractor, Mr. Oliver, who would collect the men on the following Saturday morning. In the mean time they lived in shacks and tents while cutting granite; the chips as they were called, became part of the Rumbelow home, while the superior, cut granite from this same island became part of Parliament House, Adelaide.

Alongside Yeltanna was Whaler's Haven, home of Grandfather and Grandmother Rumbelow, a place once described by a certain Captain Parkes as the Crystal Palace, a name that stuck. When ever the Captain stayed at Encounter Bay, a young Grace Rumbelow would gather his favourite delicacies, sea snails or warriners while he, when he returned to town, would send her his warriners' in the form of peaches. Delicacy!

Across the way from the fish shed was Batchelors Hall, where the crews of the cutters lived. By 1883 a house is recorded as existing with Malen Rumbelow as the owner/occupier at a rateable value of £7.

Karen Rumbelow waits besides Yeltanna to get back on Peanuts the horse as Gwen Rumbelow takes a ride at 78 years old.

When Victor's future was set in granite

The year 1881 was a boom year at Port Victor. The building of the breakwater on Granite Island was in full swing, providing employment and prosperity to the whole town. In a single blast in May of that year, a charge of three tons of explosive dislodged 22,000 tons of granite and by August the breakwater was already 680 feet long. The Screwpile jetty was underway too, there were talks of the railway being extended from Adelaide to Strathalbyn, and on to Victor; the district council with Simpson Newland MP and Malen Rumbelow were experimenting with oyster farming, the Victor Harbor Hotel was extended by James Bray, Mount Breckan was just completed, and G. S. Read - shipping agent - sought council permission to place a weighbridge in Flinders Parade. A third hotel was about to be built, there were now three full-time policemen and a photog-rapher in the town, as well as a new resident doctor. And also in 1881, granite works were opened on West Island. Then Andrew Oliver, of Olivers' Hill (now Kleinigs' Hill) had taken out a contract to mine granite from the island to supply the foundation of Adelaide's new Parliament House. In February the quarry was opened and by late March, 14 men were working it, being rowed across each week by the Rumbelows. In the first three months, 150 tons of dressed granite were shipped by coastal ketch to Adelaide. A year later Port Victor was still alive with activity. Although the breakwater looked like being abandoned at just 1000 feet in length, agitation was being made to extend it to 3,000 feet, and in the meantime the employees got up their own cricket club. The moral watchdogs invited Mr Matthew Burnett's celebrated mission into town and 220 locals signed the pledge, promising never to drink alcohol. It was decided a second bank was needed and the National Bank contracted Mr Oliver to supply West Island granite for the purpose. The National Bank (on the present site of the State Bank) completed in 1883 was described by the local press in glowing terms - "the granite front shows out well and substantial" and "the interior fittings are very neat, the counter composed of red and huon pine, is especially a nice piece of work." At the same time tenders were called for a council chamber, the contract going to Mr Coote, who also used West Island granite. Andrew Oliver was by then busy with other building projects in the town, mostly using limestone. But in 1884 when building transpects on to the Church of England he diversified and added granite ornaments as supports for the roof beams, and a granite cross on the roof, "a very creditable piece of work", the local press said.

Yeltanna, in 1900, with George Ticklie, left, Malen and Mary Rumbelow and Alice Rumbelow.

Ten years later the National Bank was closed Port Victor' did not after all become the great southern port', the breakwater was never extended, shipping died away, and the West Island quarry closed down. Even in 1888 a roving journalist visiting the town said, he "must get out of the dejected ten horse wilderness state' ' . Eventually, the National Bank, turned into a home, was demolished and the granite used in the foundations of the new Savings Bank. The council chambers were eventually also demolished. However, one local building of West Island granite did survive and stands today as a unique remnant, overlooking on the seafront at En-counter Bay. While the best stone was being shipped to Adelaide, and the second-best used for the new bank and council chambers, Malen Rumbelow, rowing the quarry-men to and from West Island, obtained the left-over granite to build his family a new home beside their old weatherboard cottage at Yilki. "Yeltanna" still stands as originally, its granite walls having withstood the coastal storms of 100 years, and evaded demolition. It is worth a visit on Franklin Parade, at Yilki. Today, West Island is a nature reserve.

-Ocean Street in 1907 with Granite House, the old National Bank, on the extreme left.

Images supplied by Peter Wadewitz

Relative saddened

Sir I am deeply saddened by the plan-ned demolition of the cottage situated on the corner of Ridgeway Street and Franklin Parade. This cottage was built by my great grandfather, Malen Rumbelow 2nd, in

the 1800's of granite chips obtained from West Island. It was called 'Yeltanna'. It is the only local building built of West Island granite to survive and as such is of historical value to the district and should surely be preserved for all time. Perhaps it could be incorporated into the planned proposal of units without destroying the character of the area. Likewise I feel the Fish Shop, now called Pa's Place, and the Yilki Deli should stay or be relocated into the whole project.

The original building of Pa's Place, that is the two back rooms, was called The Fish Shop and later Bachelor Hall, and was used by the Rumbelow family when the fish shed was on the sea front in the early days. They were the two central buildings in Rumbelow Town The Yilki Store was originally situ-ated nearer the Bluff, and was moved to its present site 66 years ago. The proposed demolition of these buildings should be put on hold until the prqject is investigated further so the character and history of the area is preserved.

Phylis Rumbelow, Yilki

Yilki Unit Debate Deferred

A packed public gallery which overflowed into the corridors of Victor Harbor council chambers heard two hours of debate on the controversial unit development at Yilki on Monday night before the matter was deferred. With the debate getting heated at times, chairman of council's planning, development and policy commit-tee, Cr Tony Gelling threatened on several occasions to clear the gallery.

The meeting almost stalled before it began when Cr Brenton Hutchison asked planning officer Beate Jansen about a late letter from Wallman Planning Consultants which stated that residents had not been correctly notified about the new development application. Ms Jansen said there was no formal notification required and that council was listening to the residents "out of courtesy".

Spokesperson for the newly formed Heritage Advisory committee, Sally Henderson said Yeltanna cottage, along with several other items in the area, had been recommended for listing on the local register of historical interest. "It would not be in the best interests of the com-manity to see a historical property such as Yeltanna bulldozed for a crass tenement townhouse development that lacks sympathy with the quaint residential charm of Yilki and the picturesque tourist drive along Franklin Parade," she said. "Is this council prepared to make a stand or to capitulate without so much as a whimper? "Don't get bullied with the threat of facing a planning appeal court because we believe the community will say it will be money well spent in order to make a stand on our heritage.

"Give a clear and determined message to future developers that they cannot take away our heritage forever for a quick buck — we have lost too much already." The advisory committee has urged council to defer approval to negotiate with the developer to keep Yeltanna and renovate it for a sidewalk cade, general store or fish shop or sell it off separately to a sympathetic developer. In response to a question from Cr Harley Hooper, Ms Jansen said Yeltanna could be used as a sidewalk cafe. Cr Hooper also asked Sandy Wilkinson, a heritage advisor to the Adelaide City Council, if it would be feasible to take the cottage down and move it to another location. Mr Wilkinson, who has been working with the heritage advisory committee, said it would be "a bit like having a Hollywood set" and that Yeltanna, the condition of which he rated at seven out of 10, should be left in its current location and incorporated in the development.

"There would be a better chance of saving the Rumbelow cottage if there were a bit of give and take on both sides," he said. The National Trust strongly objected to council approving a development that would destroy forever the historically valuable cottage. Secretary of the local branch, Rae Parker told the meeting it was time council did something about retaining the heritage of the area.

She showed an 1880s photograph of Yeltanna in its historic perspective with the Fountain Inn, Rumbelow 's Crystal Palace and the Rumbelow boat shed. She said although Yeltanna was not listed on the State Heritage Register it met all the criteria for inclusion on a Local Heritage Register. The matter was deferred to the full meeting of council on Monday night to gain further planning information and to allow Ms Jansen to obtain solicitors' advice on the notification issue.

Time to save Yeltanna

It saddens me to see that the District Council of Victor Harbor has again given permission for Russell Trim to demolish Yeltanna, the old Rumbelow cottage on the seafront at Yilki (The Times 26-7-96). This despite the fact that council is well aware of the widespread protest against demolition of this building when the first application was lodged.

At the time of the initial application I was informed by the State Heritage Branch that it was fully within the power of council to place the building on their own local heritage register. This they have steadfastly refused to do. I realise that developers (unfortanately) wield; a great deal of power both in terms of the law, and money. However, I think the demolition of Yeltanna could have been stopped. The powers that be' appear, despite lip service, to have no concern for heritage matters.

This is not a fault only of the current council. I remember the original bandstand on Milne Reserve (Grosvenor Gardens) being demolished in 1965 by the Corporation. Twenty years later it was rebuilt, but minus the beautiful tiled floor and the original woodwork. Every year pieces of physical heritage go under, while developers continue to rape the land and townscape in search of the ever-increasing (apparently not elusive) bank balance. Yeltanna was the home of the Rumbelow family, who are still numerous in this district. With other pioneers they paved the way for us to eryoy much of what we have today. Some years ago members of the family then living (and descendants of other pioneer families) gave many treasured heirlooms to the Whalers Haven museum. All these treasures were sold interstate a few years ago, despite an offer from the local National Trust.

Yeltanna is unique for its history as well as the fact that it is the only building of West Island granite in the State, other than the foundations of Parliament House. Almost everyone agrees that buildings like Mount Breckan and Adare should be heritage listed and preserved - yet should not the homes of some of the ordinary people (who worked for these wealthy families, were here before they came, and still here long after they have gone) also be preserved, even if only in preference to the modern erections of usually doubtful taste forced upon us in their place? It is now time for the council to make a commitment, by way of action, to preserving local heritage. It is what both residents and tourists tell me they would like to see. The small minority who disagree (the developers) must realise this is how life is in a democracy.

Save the Cottage

Sir The name Rumbelow is synonymous with Victor Harbor. There was a time when half the families here were said to be related to the Rumbelows and the little village at Yilki where they had been fishermen since the 1860'swas dubbed "Rumbelowtown" by other locals.

In the 1880's Malen Rumbelow junior held the contract for transporting quarrymen to and from West Island for the quarrying of granite to be used in the foundation of the new Parliament House, Adelaide. As a result he was able to obtain the rubble left from the dressed blocks and built "Yeltanna" ("cool place") on Franklin Parade. At the time two other granite buildings - the original council chambers, and the first National Bank, were built in Victor Harbor of the same stone. Both of these are now gone.

Now the only relic of the Rumbelow family left, is to go. Old and young alike tell me what a pity it all is, the National Trust does what it can, but control is really in the hands of the District Council and the developers. Oh, for a sympathetic developer! We have until January 27 to lodge objections to the Yilki desecration with our District Council office. I urge all residents, as well as visitors to object strongly.

Anthony Laube, Victor Harbor

New Approval for Yilki Units

A plan to develop eight units at Yilki which last year sparked heated protest and controversy is back on the agenda. Landowner and developer Russell Trim originally planned to build 24 two storey units on his land, which includes the Yilki general store and fish shop and the granite cottage Yeltanna, built last century by the Rumbelow family.

Mr Trim's revised plan for eight double-storey units was approved by Victor Harbor District Council in April last year after the Development Assessment Commission said it was happy with the proposal. Under that proposal the store and fish shop were to remain but the cottage was to be demolished. Mr Trim did not go ahead with the development, citing the poor state of the economy, and the council approval lapsed.

However, he has now reapplied to council for approval for the eight-unit development, identical to the one previously approved. The application says the units would be used for holiday rental. Mr Trim says in his application that he now believes demand for development is growing and requests a renewal of the option given to him last year. The plan drawings submitted to council include possible future extension of shopping facilities by rebuilding and expanding the Yilki store to incorporate a mini-mart plus first floor restaurant with deck overlooking the ocean.

Council's planning officer, Ms Beate Jansen, recommended that council approve the development, subject to a number of conditions. It was approved at the full council meeting on Monday night.

Stone for monument

The stone from the demolished Yeltanna building at Yilki has been given to Victor Harbor council to be used in a monument to signify the heritage value of the area. Councillors had expressed their concerns that the stone would disappear from the development site if they did not take urgent action. The director of technical services, Peter Bond, was asked to follow-up the planned use of the stone because the developer, Russell Trim, had agreed to erect a monument as part of his initial development application.

However, However, the planned use for the site has changed and Mr Trim is no longer required to build the monument but is willing to give it to council to be used however it wishes. 'T think the stone needs to be put in a safe place," Cr Deane Michelmore said. Cr Liz Cooper believed it was appropriate for the stone to be used as a monument to "acknowledge the people who developed Yilki in years gone by". The demolition of the Yeltanna was allowed when Mr Trim proposed to build a 24-unit development on the site. Even though this proposal did not proceed, Mr Trim still had permission to demolish the building - which took place earlier this year -to allow the sale of the land. The granite cottage, built for the Rumbelow family in the 1880s, was the last of three granite buildings in Victor Harbor. More than 550 signatures were collected in January, 1995, in a bid to save the building from demolition.

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