Did you know that Tarragindi, named after Tarragindi Tasserone, was first called ‘Sandy Creek?’ Here are some other interesting facts about Tarragindi.
Read: Tarragindi Tasserone: The Man Behind The Suburb’s Name
It was first called ‘Sandy Creek’
Sandy Creek is a watercourse that has its source in Toohey Forest to the south and flows through the major part of the suburb. It can be hard to find the creek these days as it weaves its way from Toohey Forest through reserves and parks, but it was once home to a range of native plants and a home to wildlife.
It was named after Tarragindi Tasserone
Tarragindi, or simply Tarra was believed to be originally from the Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia) but managed to escape from his plantation. He was taken in by Alfred Foote who found him sitting on the roadside. He worked for Mr Foote’s family until the last days of his life in 1913.
He also worked for Samuel Grimes, known as the founding father of the area and is connected to Mr Foote. Upon learning that ‘Tarragindi’ was synonymous to camp on a hill, Mr Grimes gave the name to his new home.
The entire area was officially called Tarragindi in 1931, almost two decades after Tarra’s passing.
It was a rural area until the interwar years
A Congregational chapel, the Cracknell Road Congregational Church first held its services in the suburb by the early 1900s. However, there was no school and other church building or public hall in the area by that time.
Sandy Creek Progress Association was behind some of the early developments in the area. The group sponsored fund-raising for a public hall and lobbied for a district primary school.
The first land sales, advertised by Isles Love & Co Auctioneers, occurred only in October 1914.
It used to be separate from Ekibin
Ekibin is now one of the roads in Tarragindi, but did you know that it was a suburb before? It was identified as a census district between 1947 and 1971, covering the Boggo Road Gaol to the Tarragindi reservoir. Its name was subsumed by Tarragindi in 1976.
A field hospital was built during WW2
One of the most interesting facts about Tarragindi is that it was once home to the Ekibin Hospital which was built in 1941, within Sexton Street and Toohey Road.
Shell-shocked soldiers during World War II were treated to the Ekibin Hospital. It was also occupied by the 102nd Australian General Hospital which treated patients suffering from psychoneurotic disorders.
Read: A Look Back at the Ekibin Hospital During WW2
The site is now home to the Ekibin Memorial Park which was built to honour the role it played during the Second World War.
Published 22-March-2023
