YARRA GLEN AND LILYDALE HUNT CLUB

In May 1891 the hunt met at the Burgoyne Hotel (now the Grand Hotel) and was led by Thomas Armstrong over the Yering flats where the quarry was deer.  John Irvine, proprietor of the Yarra Flats Hotel, was the Master in 1897 and led 70 horsemen and women in the pursuit of foxes and hares over the river flats. Thirty of the company later joined Irvine at his hotel at 6pm for dinner.

Sometime before the turn of the century the Yarra Glen Hunt Club was formed and by 1900 it had 58 financial members and a credit balance of £12.9s.8d. Mr L McIntyre was secretary. Members included Mr William Park (1871-1909) of Coldstream, Louis Deschamp (who rode Weary Willie), Len Lithgow (Bally) and W. J. Artis (Andy). Often the horses were as well known as their owner or rider. 

In early 1900 a hunt club was created at Lilydale which prompted the Yarra Glen Hunt Club to call for a meeting to discuss an amalgamation. A meeting was held at the Sportsmans Arms Hotel in Coldstream on 27 April and the proposal accepted. Mr J. R. Henry was elected Secretary and Mr G. de Pury President. Mr C. J. Mitchell was appointed Master of Hounds; he kept the hounds at Cave Hill until new kennels were built near the Lilydale cemetery in 1907. By November 1900 the membership had increased to 100 and included farmers, vignerons, a butcher, station master, a baker and a police constable. The membership was the largest in Victoria, more than double the number of other clubs.

The inaugural meeting of the Yarra Glen & Lilydale Hunt Club was at the Yering Railway Station. Subsequent meets (during the cooler months of the year) began at various appointed places from Yarra Glen to Lilydale including Chateau Yering, the Lodge Gates at St Huberts, Parks Hotel Coldstream, the Olinda Hotel in Lilydale. There was usually a following of spectators who rode horses or bicycles or drove in the comfort of a horse-drawn vehicle. 

In addition to the traditional hunt the Club held an annual point-to-point steeplechase meeting. This included not only a steeplechase across various properties, but also flat races, novelty races such as bobbing for apples, and bread, butter and scone making competitions. From 1923 the meeting was conducted at the current site of the Hunt Club next to Yering State School and in 1937 the Club purchased the property.  It has been the permanent home of the Club and the kennels since that date.

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Sources: The Age, January 5, 1935; Val Sheehan, As It Happened, Lilydale & District Historical Society, 2003;