The following is an extract
from "The New Tourist's Guide and Victorian View Album" (1888-89) and is a
portion of the section dealing with Tinamba.
"The TINAMBA HOTEL is kept by Mr. FRANK GEORGE
HICKOX, who was born in Middlesex, England, in 1837. Mr. Hickox may claim to be an
old pioneer, as he arrived in South Australia during the year 1840, in the ship "Holy
Anna", Captain Cameron. His parents went into the wine, spirit and cordial
business. He remained with his parents for some years, and came to Victoria in
1852, in the ship "Queen of Sheba", Captain Cadal.
In 1855 he started the cordial business. In 1865 he went to
Walhalla and commenced hotel keeping, where he remained for some time, afterwards going to
Traralgon. Bought land there and built several shops and cottages; also the
Star and Club Hotels. Bought a large brick yard - comprising some 28 acres - in a
very dilapidated condition and having but one small kiln. Sold 18 acres of the land
for £1,200, erected good horse works, and made the business in earnest; refused
£3,000 from a city firm for the balance. The bricks made in the Traralgon yards are
not to be surpassed in the colony. The bricks are sent everywhere; many thousands
were sent to Hotham for a large terrace of cottages in Dryburgh Street.
There is a great and increasing demand for this particular
brick; the clay from which they are made being of dark, tough nature rendering them
suitable for facings and fancy work. The Traralgon Post Office, a most
imposing structure, was built from the bricks manufactured by Mr. Hickox. In fact,
all the principal brick buildings erected of late years around the district, were
constructed with these bricks, which are well known far and near. We take the
liberty of clipping the following lines on the subject from The Gippsland Farmers'
Journal, published in Traralgon :
THE BRIDGE
I stood on the bridge, when the torrent was roaring
The thunder, it pealed, and the lightning did flash,
The great forest giants came rushing and foaming,
And hurling themselves 'gainst the bridge with a crash.
The wind fairly howled, and shrieked in its fury,
The Storm King, enraged, tried many odd tricks,
To bring down the structure, but all to no purpose,
The bridge was built up of HICKOX'S BRICKS.
Mr. Hickox employs about 20 hands in the brick yard, who take
something like £250 each month. His property at Tinamba comprises a large hotel,
with every convenience - parlors, bedrooms, piano, large dining hall, stables, commodious
accommodation, paddocks, splendid well (bricked and finished in a superior manner).
The town itself is growing rapidly. Under Mr. Hickox's able
supervision are a large general store, blacksmith's, butcher's shop, bakery &c., and
as the ground is really splendid and the town not more than a few minutes from the railway
station, there is nothing to prevent this place from assuming gigantic proportions in a
very short space of time, like the majority of towns in Gippsland.
Mr. Hickox is a large land owner in various parts of
Gippsland, holding a number of town allotments at that thriving little township, Morwell.
It is such men as Mr. F.G. Hickox that make a new country go ahead. We wish
him every success in his undertakings, and health and happiness for his family."
Here are a few early advertisements that appeared for Hickox's
Bricks :
Wise and Foolish Men -
The Foolish Man builds on foundations of sand,
The Wise Man on HICKOX'S BRICKS.
Foolish Councillors build their channels of wood,
which
wood-lice and damp doth corrupt, and waters break through and steal into the cellars
but
wise Councillors use HICKOX'S BRICKS.
As
damp will wear the wood away,
The
joint will rot and sever,
But
HICKOX'S BRICKS, if truly laid,
Are
bound to last forever.
Doubters are referred to Tom Price, Manager
HICKOX'S BRICK YARDS, Traralgon.
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