Gallus’ dairy

Doncaster Corner looking north from Gallus’ dairy, abt.1960. – Photo: Alan Campbell-Drury

It all started in the 1890s, when Edward Gallus was running a few cows on his land on the southeast corner of Tram & Main roads on Doncaster Hill.

This was the period following the crash of the Land boom of the late 1880s, the onset of the 1893 depression and after the heady days of the Doncaster Tram.

Briefly, the tram line was to run along Station Street, directly to the Tower. But, it was considered too steep, and, after a lot of haggling with the landholders, it was diverted to cut across through Richard Clay’s estate that was in the process of being auctioned, up to the junction through the middle of Gallus’ land, dividing it in half. Through the depression, the Tram operation eventually became unviable, ceasing operations in 1896. (Edward Gallus snr. was a builder and built the Tram refreshment rooms. – another story)

It is reported that Edward’s children, Edward Jnr. and Minnie, would go out and deliver milk before going to school by ladling milk into ‘Billies’ left out by residents. As the business grew, Edward Gallus would move his increasing herd of cows across the road to graze in “Firth’s paddock” on the north-west corner of the junction.

The business expanded in 1918, when Edward Jnr. “Ted” married Elizabeth Violet “Vi” Manns. Ted was now making milk deliveries by horse and cart. This continued until the mid-1950s, when Model Dairy purchased the business and ran it until abt.1963, a time when most dairies had stopped using horse-drawn carts.

The horses remained at the corner until the land was sold for development in the 1970s