Not many people have ever heard of Yonnies but at one stage over 60 kids were involved, aged between 5 and 10 years. The only suburb ever to produce yonnies in Australia were the suburbs of Ashburton and Alamein and a few from Glen Iris and Burwood.
It was a very exciting period and adults never realised how intense it was nor how dangerous!
Yonnies only survived two years because they created a battlefield in the “Cut”. The “Cut” ran from Alamein to Gardiner’s Creek: Vic Rail tackled this enormous area of land by using earth- moving equipment, but it never opened as a circuit railway.
It didn’t take very long before the Yonnies used it as their battlefield to scare off any intruder spies. We quickly became suburban cave-makers and deep holes were prevalent.
Homeowners really seemed to be more amused than threatened.
Yonnies quickly grew in number and skill and some of us even dug into the walls of the cut or put timber frames in place. Many slept in their caves. Once a Yonnie came straight at me and slammed into the clay behind me. Another hit my rubbish bin lid and, Boy, did I need it! Peeking at a kid on the other side, I awaited a chance and then sent a Yonnie in his direction. He was lucky I missed! On both sides it was hit and miss. Sometimes you can see Yonnies coming and other times you can’t! It was all hit and miss and it went on for months until the Police came and tore down the barricades.
All the action began in the early days of Ashburton and Alamein in the 40’s. I was brought up in Ashburton and on the wrong side of the tracks. The plan was a big cut through the rocks and clay and then lay rail tracks so trains from the city could cross over Gardiner’s Creek and link up at East Malvern. It was a great idea but after slicing through clay, the idea never became real. Maybe the bridge over the creek and across East Malvern Golf Course was too costly. The public had demonstrations but to no avail. The only people to use the “Cut” were people walking their dogs and people out for a stroll.
Please don’t ask me where the word “Yonnie” comes from, but I do know that every kid had a collection of Yonnies. Many of the kids even polished their stones. It was said that Aborigines used them for trading. The Cut was extremely high and there was a low-level walk as well as the higher level with views over Gardiner’s Creek and back towards the city.
If I ever visit Melbourne again, I’ll take the train from the City or Richmond and travel to Alamein and then I'll walk along the dirt tracks overlooking the East Malvern Golf Course.
If I'm very lucky, I might even find a Yonnie!
John A Wilson
Pottsville March 2024
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