By Janice Newton
Ronald Victor Alfred Hester, born in Footscray in 1910, remembered Scout camps at Mt Evelyn.
When he was about 11 (1921), Ron travelled with first Yarraville Scouts by train to Lilydale, then they walked to the Recreation Reserve by following Olinda Creek and the old David Mitchell tram track.
At this time there was no football oval, just bush at the Reserve.
The Scouts
used to go up to the Baker’s alongside the Police Station. He used to bake his own bread and we used to go there to get our bread … in our Scout caps … We spent a lot of time up there, watching him bake the bread and poking a bit of wood into the oven … it was beautiful bread too.
Ron discovered a secret fishing spot.
One of my camps up here at Mt Evelyn … I was going for a badge, Bushman’s badge or something.
I had to stay out overnight and I had to make my own camp, on my own, and I had to scrounge for myself, what I could.
I didn’t have very much to eat so I wandered off … just behind where the first Melbourne water supply was … I walked up through the bush [and found a] big puddle of clear water.
Of course I had a big fishing line in my pocket, cooked a nice couple of fish, they were blackfish … I lived in great style.
Next morning, I packed up and worked my way back to camp.
Ron began work at the railways and did an engineering course.
During World War II he joined the RAAF.
He moved permanently to Mt Evelyn in 1943, still working at the Camberwell RAAF base until 1945, when war injuries forced him to resign.
In about June 1948 Ron revived first Mt Evelyn Scouts, which had operated from around 1928 to 1932.
He purchased the land for the Scout Hall for £50. He also joined the Fire Brigade.
All we had were a few beaters, they’re like a hessian sort of thing or canvas on the end of a pole … a few rakes, shovels and knapsacks … you’d fill them up with water and carry them on your back … with a pump on them to pump water to put the fires out.
In September 1991, four months before he died on 10 January 1992, Ron recorded his memories for the Lilydale Museum’s oral history project.
