Peppers Paddock is a Council Reserve located at the intersection of Main Hurstbridge Road and Kangaroo Ground-Wattle Glen Road, Wattle Glen. Realignment of these roads and associated subdivisions in the early 1960’s created this Reserve from part of land held by the Pepper family. The naming of the Reserve by the Shire of Diamond Valley reflects the historic ownership and the early Pepper contributions to Wattle Glen community.

The Pepper Family Land Holding Since 1866

The Peppers were a pioneer farming family who lived at Upper Diamond Creek. Their neighbour was William Ellis who by his death in 1896 was farming 200 acres with his nephew Nathaniel. The property stretched from present day Reynolds Road to the Diamond Creek. William Ellis had purchased 100 acres from the estate of Hugh Larimour* after his death in 1861 increasing his holding to 200 acres. The property formed the majority of Crown Allotments 4 and 5.

After William’s death his executors subsequently subdivided this land and sold it off in 10 parcels of various sizes. Three of these parcels totalling about 100 acres were purchased between 1898 and 1903 by three Peppers, Alexander James, in the name of his wife Louisa Frances (Crellin), Edward Ernest (Ted), and Montague Henry (Mont.) These siblings were three of 10 children born to Englishman Henry Montague Pepper and his wife Emily Mary (Saunders) from Tancks Corner (now Yarrambat).

Ted Pepper purchased his parcel shortly before his marriage to Sarah Bird of Eltham in 1904 and farmed the 36-acre holding they called “Sunnyside” on the corner of Reynolds and Main Hurstbridge Roads. Red established a market garden and orchard whilst Sarah operated a small shop out of her home up until about 1920. Their land holdings expanded in 1906 when Ted and Sarah purchased Mont’s holding bordering the Diamond Creek and along Watery Gully Creek.

View from the Sunnyside Estate c1926 in the Sunnyside Crescent locality. The Lorimer home and farm, purchased by Dave and Kath Pepper, the Diamond Creek Cool Store in the distance and Lorimer’s orchard to the right.

Extension of the Eltham to Hurstbridge Railway in 1912 required a small portion to be excised by the Board of Lands and Works. Further small portions were sold for the Wattle Glen School in 1921 and one was gifted for the Methodist Church** in 1925. Shortly thereafter, Ted and Sarah created the “Sunnyside Estate” of 85 “Township and Week Ender Blocks”, the first of several subdivisions that form modern day Wattle Glen. Ted’s builder sons Ed and Ivan purchased blocks adjacent to the old home and built homes for themselves and others.

Shortly after marrying in 1940, Ted’s youngest son David Stanley (Dave) and his wife Kathleen Grace (Smart) purchased and worked a dairy farm totalling nearly 130 acres on land purchased from R.J. Lorimer in combination with Ted’s land along the Diamond Creek/Water Gully. Dave and Kath operated this dairy farm for nearly 30 years and raised three children there. Moving cattle across the main road and the railway was a frequent and fraught event.

The realignment of the Main Hurstbridge and Kangaroo Ground-Wattle Glen Roads in the 1960’s however effectively removed access for Dave’s cattle to the long-held land along Watery Gully. It was purchased by the Shire of Diamond Valley for some additional housing along Warrington Crescent and a reserve, to be named Peppers Paddock.

1923 from Clarke’s Hill showing relocated school, “Sunnyside” middle right, Main Hurstbridge Road, A. Keenan’s shop at Lacey’s Corner with Keenan’s home behind. Note Pepper cultivation and orchard either side of Watery Gully Creek.

* Hugh Larimour was an early settle at Upper Diamond Creek. The surname changed spelling over the decades following his death and is now reflected in a well-known road in Wattle Glen – Lorimer Road.

** The Methodist Church building still stands next to Wattle Glen Primary School on Reynold’s Road and is now a private residence.