Waanyarra Revisited | Dedicated to the "Golden Triangle” locality of Waanyarra, in Central Victoria, Australia

Fence Restoration and Signage

Posted on March 5, 2012 by mort30

Some photos of the fence restoration work done by “The Families and Friends of Waanyarra” and information signage installed.

Dilapitated entrance prior to restoration - (Max Douthat working on the first of the three burial records plaques)

Restored entrance

The builders of the post and rail front fence

Plaque rocks

Old wooden sign

Main sign

Etched Stainless steel information sign (Designed by Guy Morton)

This sign was one of the first projects completed by the Families and Friends of Waanyarra.
It was made by photo engraving the text and images into the surface of a sheet of stainless steel—the etched areas then being paint filled.
In addition to the text the sign shows an impression of the gravesite of Jesse Turner, the operator of a “Shanty” during the heady days of gold fever in the Waanyarra area, and a depiction of the Double Wax Flower (Eriostemon Verrucosus) also known as the Fairy Wax Flower.
The Wax Flower occurred extensively in the Waanyarra area in days gone by, but is now unable to be found. This may be because many plants were dug up in an attempt to move them into home gardens or to provide stock for plant propogaters, thoughtless harvesting of the flowers and possible changes in climatic conditions.

THE TEXT ON THE SIGN READS

“The first rush to this area occurred in 1853 and brought with it deaths from mining accidents, illness and disease.
The oldest surviving marked grave in this historic cemetery is that of John Gibson Brown, who died on October 10th. 1859. The recorded history of this rich gold-mining region indicates however, that many burials must have taken place prior to this date.
Initially the cemetery was situated to the south of this site, but seasonal flooding of Jones’ Creek resulted in it being moved to higher ground. When Phillip Chauncey surved this area in 1861 a reserve for a cemetery had been marked out on the north side of the Dunolly to Tarnagulla road, west of this site, but it was not favoured by local residents and was never used.
Chauncey officially named the area Waanyarra during his survey, replacing the name “Beverly” chosen by Governor Latrobe. “Beverly” was used only by a few of the early goldseekers, and was quickly forgotten. This eastern section of the Waanyarra area, and the creek running through it, became known as Jones’ Creek, after Charles Jones, an early prospector.
Before the introduction of wooden coffins it was usual to enclose a body between two sheets of bark for burial. Local identity Mr. Cheetham is credited with making the first wooden coffin used here. It was made for the burial of a child.
In April 1871, a public meeting was held at Morton’s “Welcome Inn” where the first Trustees for the various sections of this cemetery were elected.
They were:-

THOMAS LEACH—Anglican
THOMAS BOAN—Hebrew
JAMES GOURLEY—Presbyterian
MICHAEL MORTON—Roman Catholic
WILLIAM HOLT—Wesleyans

These people organised the burials and kept the cemetery in good condition for many years. It was totally funded by public subscriptions, but as time passed the population of the area declined, money dried up and public interest in maintaining the cemetery waned. This made the task of the Trustees very difficult and they resigned their positions. A new team of Trustees unsuccesssfully attempted to rekindle community support and the cemetery closed officially in 1891.
Despite its official closure, local families continued to use the cemetery for many years without permission, preferring to be buried in family graves in the district in which they had lived for most of their lives.
As far as can be ascertained, Mrs Beborah Chapple (nee Corrie) is the only person to have gained official permission to be buried here since its official closure.Debbie, as she was affecionately known, had been a tireless worker for the maintenance of this cemetery.
The Shire of Bet Bet became the Trustee of the Waanyarra cemetery in 1965 and receives annual grants for its maintenance.
Since 1988 an informal group, The Families and Friends of Waanyarra, has dedicated itself to maintaining the historic significance of the area. A bronze plaque recording the names of those buried here without a marker was placed here by the group who have also cooperated with the Tarnagulla Recreation Parks Committee, the Bet Bet Shire and its Development and Tourism Committee in the erection of this signboard and the renewal of the front fence and gates”.

Categories: The Historic Cemetery | 2 Comments

Michael Morton’s amazing transportation journey to Australia

Posted on March 4, 2012 by mort30

MICHAEL’S JOURNEY.

Many interesting stories of how Michael came to Australia have been handed down through the various branches of his descendants. Each of these stories has been checked, but no records can be found to verify them.

Ireland to Australia

No ships carrying either assisted or unassisted immigrants to Australia listed a Morton from Tipperary, or anywhere else in Ireland. The vast majority of Mortons came from England or Scotland.

Only two other Michael Mortons have been found in all of the record checking carried out-one an Englishman who arrived with his wife Sophia and infant son John in the 1850s-the other a convict transported to Van Dieman’s Land in 1822, six years before our ancestor was born.

During 1988, the Irish Government presented Australia with a Bicentennial gift-a computer data base containing records of all Irish people transported to Australia between 1837 and the early 1850’s when the transportation system ended.

These records contain the following information:

YEAR: 1847 CONVICT NAME: MICHAEL MORTON

AGE: 19 DATE OF TRIAL: JULY 13TH. 1847

TRIAL PLACE: TIPPERARY SHIP: MEDWAY

SENTENCE: 10 YEARS CRIME: COW STEALING

Microfilm records of the original gaol lists and transportation records revealed more details:

PLACE OF TRIAL: TIPPERARY EYES: GREY

HEIGHT: 5ft. 7¼in. HAIR: BROWN

COMPLEXION: FRESH READ / WRITE: NEITHER

DISPOSAL WHEN: 10/11/1847 HOW: MEDWAY

MARRIED / SINGLE: SINGLE / LABOURER

We are indebted to Lyn Mc Innes for her discovery of this information in Latrobe library. Lyn maintains that she leapt up and shouted “Eureka” when Michael’s name appeared on the monitor screen.

The next step in verifying that this man was our ancestor was to discover where the ship went-a task made difficult by the fact that there were seven “MEDWAYS”, six of which had come to Australia at various times.
None of these ships however had brought a Michael Morton here.

“Bound for Australia”, a book by David Hawkings, along with some British Home Office records on microfilm at the Victorian State Library, led to the discovery of the particular “MEDWAY” into which Michael had been herded in November 1847.

FIRST STOP BERMUDA.
Following his sentencing, it is most likely that Michael was transferred from Nenagh to the convict prison on Spike Island in Cork harbour to await embarkation.

Commissioned as a convict ship in October 1847, the “MEDWAY” took her human cargo aboard a short time later, probably at Cork harbour. She set sail for Bermuda on November 10th. 1847, having ridden out a severe storm two days before. Several other ships had broken their moorings and collided, causing much damage. “MEDWAY” appears to have survived the storm unscathed.

After a journey of some three months, the “MEDWAY” berthed at the wharves at Ireland island in Bermuda. As she was to be converted to a floating prison “Hulk”, her prisoners were immediately moved to other accommodation. Records show Michael was transferred on Feb.9th. 1848 to the “THAMES”, a twenty five year old hulk, destined to sink at its moorings there in June 1863. He was returned to the “MEDWAY” about nine months later, presumably when the conversion was complete.

Most hulks used as long term gaols were made by stripping the ships superstructure and replacing it with a two or three level dormitory style building with kitchen, mess hall, ablution block and chapel.

A Typical “Hulk”

The Chapel

Convict Ward

Washroom

Gallery

All above images from David T Hawkings book “Bound for Australia”
(Published in Australia by Library of Australian History)

Convicts had been working in the dockyards and quarries of Bermuda since 1824, and from 1846 onwards much labour had been used to extensively alter and add to the fortifications of the islands. The English were afraid that the Americans planned to attack Bermuda to capture convicts to add to their slave numbers.

The British Home Office required the Supervisor of each hulk to make a quarterly report on each prisoner, and it was during his stay on the “THAMES” that Michael Morton became Michael Moreton – a misspelling that remained in his records until his arrival in Australia. These quarterly “hulk returns” provided the information that allowed the next stage of Michael’s journey to be discovered.

Then to the “Cape”
Earl Grey of the British Colonial Office keenly supported the idea of allowing well behaved prisoners to be selected for resettlement in the colonies as “Exiles”- an Exile being a prisoner accepting the option of serving his or her sentence as a free person in a colony. He also maintained that many convicts, particularly the Irish, were not criminals, and should be seen for what they really were, political activists.

Grey had an ideal opportunity to put these ideas to the test when, in May 1848, it was decided to dispatch 600 convicts to the Cape of Good Hope. They were to build a breakwater in Table Bay. In August of that year, Grey proposed that these convicts be exiled to the Cape, and immediately directed that 300 political offenders in Bermuda should be sent there.

In a letter to the Administrator of the penal colony at Bermuda, Grey refused to accede to a request that these prisoners be sent to the Cape at no charge to themselves. He ordered that each should pay ten pounds for his passage to the Cape. Presumably this fee was deducted out of any money the prisoners earned whilst working for their jailers!

The hulk return from the “MEDWAY” for the quarter to June 1849, shows Michael transferred to the “NEPTUNE .” The actual notation against Michael’s name on the hulk return reads:-

“Transferred to the Neptune on 20th of April 1849 for the Cape of Good Hope on Ticket of Leave.”

“NEPTUNE” was a 35 year old sailing ship of some 644 tons built in Calcutta in 1814, and the fourth convict transport ship to carry that name, the first being the infamous vessel which was part of the Second Fleet of 1790. An unusually large ship for those days of 809 tons, she gained her notoriety by having 161 of her cargo of 500 convicts die on the journey.

Michael’s “NEPTUNE” was always referred to as a “ship” which meant that it was a “full rigged” or “square rigged” vessel with three masts. She had been used only once before as a convict transport – this being in 1838 when she brought 350 male prisoners to Hobart.

A typical “Ship”

“NEPTUNE” sailed from Bermuda on the 24th. of April 1849. For this journey she was under the command of Captain Henderson. The surgeon entrusted with the formidable task of keeping “passengers” and crew alive and as healthy as possible, died before they reached the Cape. He was replaced by Surgeon Superintendent Thomas Gibson on their arrival.

Being put on a Ticket of Leave meant that on their arrival at the Cape they would be handed the “Ticket”, which would allow them to work for themselves in any spare time they had outside their required convict labours.

The people of the Cape colony were violently opposed to these arrangements, and in June 1849, well before the arrival of the “NEPTUNE,” had formed an Anti Convict Association to lobby the Colonial Office against the move.

After making a brief stop at Pernambuco on the east coast of Brazil on July 18th. to replenish water and supplies, the “NEPTUNE” dropped anchor in Simon’s Bay at the Cape on September 19th. 1849.

By this time opposition to the landing of these men had reached hysterical proportions in the Cape colony and they could not disembark. The colony refused provisions, medical supplies and water to the “NEPTUNE,” all of which had to be obtained from Mauritius.

Grey came under increasing pressure to abandon his plans and eventually bowed to the wishes of his opponents, both in England and the colonies. On February 13th. 1850, some five months after arriving at the Cape, he ordered Captain Henderson to take the ageing “NEPTUNE” on her second voyage to Van Dieman’s Land.

In the flurry of activity preceding the departure, people from the mainland were deployed in helping with the stowing of materials and provisions on the “NEPTUNE.” She sailed with 282 convicts (18 had died since leaving Bermuda), 43 troopers as guards, and 6 paying passengers. The number of crew is unknown.

“We sail this day: the wind full against us, blowing straight up the bay: no matter – the commodore has sent the war steamer “GEYSER” to tow us out. We have got the hawser fixed, and are slowly moving out of Simon’s Bay, and down the broad expanse of False Bay. The mountains are fading behind us. Another continent has arisen from the sea before me, now Africa vanishes too. Shall I ever set foot upon dry land more?”

Entry (Dated 19th.February) in the diary of John Mitchel, one of the prisoners on board the “NEPTUNE”, and a well known political activist for the freedom of Ireland.
Much of Mitchel’s diary writings are included in the book “The Gardens of Hell” edited by Peter O ‘ Shaughnessy.

It is possible that “NEPTUNE” did not clear the Cape until the 21st., as this is the departure date shown in the shipping movements columns of the “Hobart Town Gazette” and “Argus” newspapers of the day. The unfavourable winds mentioned by Mitchel may have delayed the departure.

No doubt Michael and the other sea weary people on board shared Mitchel’s sentiments as they braced themselves for the next stage of their journey.

THE “ARGUS” WEDNESDAY APRIL 24th. 1850.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
“At length the question of whether the Cape shall be a penal colony has been settled. The “GLENTANNER” arrived in Table Bay on 12th. February, brought despatches from Earl Grey, intimating that the Order in Council constituting the Cape a penal colony would be revoked, and directing the removal of the “NEPTUNE” with her loathsome freight to Van Dieman’s Land. As might be expected the Cape colonists were in high glee at the success of their “passive resistance”, and they testified their gratitude and joy by public thanksgiving, illuminations and feasting.”

Pretty stale news item, “NEPTUNE” arrived Hobart April 5th.

Michael’s Five Year Journey

Immediately after clearing False Bay “NEPTUNE” steered due south to latitude 46°, where she could run before the strong westerly wind (The Roaring Forties), and ride the Antarctic Drift current. She often covered 200 miles in a day.

“NEPTUNE” reached the mountainous southern coast of Van Dieman’s Land in early April. The waters were placid as they rounded the many promontories, wooded to the waters edge. After one night becalmed, the ship made way to the head of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, taking on a pilot there to guide them to anchor in the Derwent river, a quarter of a mile from the quays and Custom house of Hobart Town.

Officials and police were soon aboard, checking the roll and informing the men that they would be landing as free men. Thomas Gibson had kept everybody on board alive to this point, but sadly he died just ten days later at Newtown.

All except John Mitchel received conditional pardons, which meant that they gained total freedom on the condition that they did not return to England until their sentence had been served. Mitchel was given restricted freedom with a “Ticket of Leave” requiring him to report regularly to the police.

Michael and his fellow passengers received their conditional pardons on Tuesday April 5th.1850.

Almost three years after his trial-HE WAS FREE!

Michael’s journey

To Victoria

Michael stayed in Tasmania for about two and a half years, another period in his life which he does not appear to have revealed to his family, who believed that he had lived only in Victoria. This segment of his life was not recorded in any official records or documents (Presumably his convict records were destroyed when he was conditionally pardoned) until he embarked from Launceston on November 8th. 1852 on the “YARRA YARRA,” bound for Melbourne. Goldrushes had begun in many parts of Victoria, and people were flocking to them from all over the world.

We do not know whether Michael made contact with his brother John during this time in Tasmania – indeed what happened to John remained a mystery for some time until records of his marriage, birth of his children and his death in Victoria were found in 1993.

Michael apparently never knew that John had moved to Victoria-although rumours of the existence of a mystery brother did exist amongst some older family members.

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: History, Morton, Moten | 12 Comments

Ireland for the Morton / Motens in the late 1840s

Posted on March 4, 2012 by mort30

Ireland in the late 1840s

To better understand the reasons for Michael’s lawlessness, we need to appreciate what conditions were like for people such as he in Ireland at the time. Most of the rural land in Ireland belongs to wealthy men, some of whom live on their properties, administering them personally. Others are absentee English gentry who probably inherited their estate, and not wishing to live there, employ agents as Managers. Landlords rent out much of their land to the local farming people, taking a substantial percentage of any crop as part payment of rent. Poorer people unable to afford to rent a plot may get some work with the small farmers, work as servants of the rich-or starve!

The mainstay of the economy and staple diet of the common people is the potato, which, since 1846, has been rotting in the ground due to the Blight. People are unable to pay their rents or obtain food. Additionally they are all expected to pay “Tithes” (One tenth of any proceeds from their land) to the Anglican Church-known as the Church of Ireland-the Church of the upper classes.

Labouring class people are almost all Catholic, but are still required to pay these tithes, famine or no famine! People are being evicted from their homes and dying in thousands from starvation. Typhoid fever is rampant, claiming many more lives. Many realise that their only hope of survival is to flee the country by any means possible. During the famine years 1846 to 1851, about one million people died in Ireland and two and a half million left the country as emigrants or convicts.

Could it be that Michael’s “crime” was his desperate attempt to avoid death from starvation or disease by deliberately getting himself arrested, with the almost certain consequential sentence of transportation given his political activism?

Or was it an act of political protest? Answers to questions such as these would enhance the somewhat sketchy image that we have of the man so far.

The Agrarian Outrages

Groups of Irish men, mainly from the labouring class, banded together to plan campaigns of action against the injustices of the system which treated them so unfairly.

Their aim was to make their grievances known, and to reclaim “Ireland for the Irish.” They planned and carried out almost constant harassment of the property of the wealthy landlords. These actions became known as the “Agrarian Outrages” and included:-

Burning buildings, hayricks and crops.

Stealing livestock – sometimes for food – sometimes for revenge. Cows were often taken to provide the milk in which the potatoes were cooked whenever possible.

Killing or maiming livestock, leaving it to be found by the owner or his agent.

Predictably the privileged class soon had laws passed to outlaw belonging (or being suspected of belonging) to any protest group.

At the time of Michael’s arrest the most active protest group, “The Young Irelanders,” was causing great havoc. The severity of his sentence, compared to that handed out to others convicted on the same day, almost certainly indicates that the Magistrate believed him to be a member of that group.

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: Morton, Moten | 1 Comment

Edna’s Unidentified Photo

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Wedding photo Melbourne 1893 Bridegroom surname is M(a)c Pherson Photo came to Edna from Queensland

Categories: Unidentified Photos | Leave a comment

Ken’s Unidentified Photo No. 2

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Please leave a comment if you can identify these people.

We, them and us, and Kath’s little girl

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Ken’s Unidentified Photo No. 1

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Please leave a comment if you can identify these people.

Kathleen 7y 9m, James 2y 9m, Jean 8m.

100mm by 85mm B & W Print on 140 mm by 90 postcard

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The Cogswell Family – From Wiltshire to Waanyarra

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Researched by Lynne Douthat and first published in her book “The Footsteps Echo”

The Cogswells originated from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The family has been researched back over many centuries and has branches in New Zealand, the U. S.A. and one or two in Australia.

The Cogswells who came to Waanyarra began further back than shown here. But more can be read about the family’s early beginnings in M. & A. Cogswell’s book “Search for a Heritage”.

James Cogswell and his wife Mary Ann nee Cogswell , (she was believed to be a cousin of James) had 14 children in 19 years of marriage. James was a shoemaker, whose trade did not bring in enough money to support his large family, Like many other large families in the working class areas of England in the 1800’s, the Cogswells were regarded legally as paupers. As a consequence of this situation the Parish of St. James Church, Trowbridge cared for their welfare, and buried their children. Mary Ann died in 1842 aged 35, leaving James to care for the young family.

1. Grace baptised 18.10.1823, Trowbridge
2. John buried 13.11.1825, Trowbridge (Parish burial)
3. Louisa baptised 26.12.1825, Trowbridge
4. Sarah baptised 5.10.1828, Trowbridge (Parish burial, died age 7 months)
5. James baptised 18.5.1830, Trowbridge. Married Ann Waite, Trowbridge, 29th June, 1852
6. Thomas baptised 1835, Trowbridge
7. A child not baptised
8. John baptised 7.8.1836
9. George born first quarter 1839, Trowbridge
10. Mary born second quarter, 1841, Trowbridge
11. Martha twin to the above, Trowbridge
12. A child, Parish burial 1835, 1841, 1842.

After his wife’s death, it was clear to James that he would have had to find someone to look after his children. Elizabeth Bannister, a widow and owner of land, married James in 1844 and took on the task of rearing his children.

Young James was 14 when his father married ‘Eliza’ and was an apprentice blacksmith in Trowbridge. By 1852 James Jnr. had met Ann Waite and soon after their marriage in June of that year they sailed to Australia to begin a new life away from the poor conditions in Trowbridge.

“The Hope” which brought Ann aged 19 and James aged 21 to Port Philip on the 18th March, 1853 as assisted migrants on their own undertaking, sailed out from the Port of London on the 8th November, 1852.

Collingwood was where James and Ann first set up a home after their arrival in Melbourne. The living conditions in Collingwood at that time were generally very crowded and unhealthy. It was here that their first surviving son, James Henry was born in 1854. Two other children were born in Collingwood to James and Ann but both children died in infancy.

In the 1850’s in Melbourne there was a great inward stream of gold-seeking migrants. Many of the migrants were skilled in some trade and were readily employed in the busy growing city of Melbourne. But the gold rushes took a large majority of skilled workers and labourers away from the city and James and Ann were among them.

James and Ann followed the ‘rush’ to Maryborough. James made a reasonable living prospecting and using his blacksmithing skills to mend and make miner’s tools. Their second surviving child, Mary Ann, was born at White Hills near Maryborough in 1858. Jones’ Creek had been “rushed” by this time and the family moved on to that area where they would eventually settle for the remainder of their lives.

A Cogswell Cow Bell

At Jones’ Creek, James and Ann ran a store in conjunction with the blacksmithing trade. The store which sold bits and pieces of everything was also licensed to sell beer and ’colonial wine’ and was named The Blacksmiths Arms Hotel. Four more children were born into the family at Jones’ Creek – John, Matilda, Henrietta and Sarah,

James Henry and John Thomas Cogswell remained unmarried but the Cogswell girls married into the local families of Pearce, Douthat, Bofill and Kaye. The name Cogswell died out, but many reminders of the blacksmithing skills remain.

Descendants and friends treasure hand crafted cowbells, a shot gun, gold jewellery and a knife made from a file as some mementos of the Cogswells artistry.

James Cogswell bought land in Waanyarra in the 1870’s, as did his son James at around the same time. Old James must have been proud of his eldest son for on the land sale papers he stated that he was purchasing the land for his son as “A reward for well doing”.

On their land they built a slab-sided shingled roofed hut. The land was cleared of timber, the cut logs were used for fencing and a dam was dug out later to hold water for stock. They grew oats and wheat on their 20 acres and stored the grain in the slab hut, but they remained living at the store at Cogswell’s Crossing, about a mile away from their land.

Mary Elizabeth Morton (nee Sturni), John Thomas Cogswell, Matilda Louisa Pearce (nee Cogswell)
Edward Morton, Jesse Pearce

Mary Elizabeth Morton (nee Sturni), John Thomas Cogswell, Matilda Louisa Pearce (nee Cogswell) Edward Morton, Jesse Pearce

The family of James and Ann Cogswell

James Henry born at Collingwood 1854, died at Waanyarra 1918, buried at Tarnagulla.

Mary Ann born at White Hills 1858, died at Waanyarra 1904, buried at Tarnagulla. Married E.W. Douthat.

John Thomas born at Dunolly 1862, died at Waanyarra 1944, buried at Tarnagulla. John lived with the Pearce family, and was well looked after by ‘Pink’ (Mary Pearce) until his death.

Matilda Louisa born at Dunolly 1871, died at Bealiba 1942, buried at Bealiba. Married Jesse Pearce.

Sarah Jane born at Dunolly 1876, died … Married Wm. Kaye

Henrietta Grace born at Dunolly 1873, died Tarnagulla 11. 10.1951 buried at Tarnagulla. Married Martin Bofill.

James Cogswell Snr. died at Waanyarra on the 29th June, 1889. Ann died on the 17th August, 1908 at Waanyarra. They are buried together at Tarnagulla cemetery. Their sons James and John are buried in adjoining graves.”

Information regarding the early Cogswell family in Trowbridge was obtained from M & A Cogswell’s book ‘The Search for a Heritage’.

Alan and Mickey Cogswell of Yealmpton, Devon, U.K, kindly gave permission for their findings to be printed in Lynne’s original article.

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: Bofill, Cogswell, Douthat, Kaye, Morton, Pearce, Sturni | 3 Comments

Impressions of the ‘Old Place’—Douthats—Waanyarra

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

By Sally Gourley (nee Douthat) daughter of Bohwen & Sarah Ann (nee Thorp)

“Dad never talked much about his family, so we never knew much about our grandparents. But Granny Thorp, Mum’s mother, used to tell us about the ‘Spanish Lady’ (our Grandmother Douthat) who once lived on the round shaped piece of land over the creek. I suppose that was where the family lived when they first came out from Spain. Granny told us that the ’Spanish Lady’ would come out of her house waving her arms and talking and yelling in her ‘own lingo’. “You didn’t know what she was saying, but you’d know she was going crook”, Granny said.

Part of the old house was still there when we were kids. There was an old yellow rose creeping over one wall but Dad wanted to plant some vegetables on the ‘island’ so he pulled down the remaining wall of the house and ploughed in the rose. Unfortunately, we did not take a cutting of the rose.

There was a bridge’ made of large slabs of timber taken from a huge tree which grew on the banks of the creek. When the tree was felled it formed part of the bridge crossing. The ‘old people’ planted the fruit trees which still grow along the creek today.”

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: Douthat, Gourley, Thorp | Leave a comment

Alver Douthat

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Born 1904. From a letter written in 1985

“I was four years old when my father, Robert Douthat died of cancer. We were burnt out at Nuggetty Flat in about 1910 and went to Melbourne. I was about 6 or 7 years old. My brother Bert and our uncle Dick (Dad’s brother) and I went to Orbost when I was 13. They were cutting girders at Mt. Buck, nine miles from Orbost. My brother Les spent a lot of time in Fiji, we had some family there. My brother Bert died at the Caulfield Repatriation Hospital from the effects of gas and uncle Dick died of cancer in Orbost.

I came to this place on the 13th July, 1943 after the War. The place would not run one head of cattle then, but now I have over 50. I have worked hard to improve this place, I had to fence it all.”

Alver Douthat

“Alver Douthat first stepped on to his wet and lonely Gippsland mountain 42 years ago.

It was a test of his independence – a test he has never failed. Douthat, 8 1, has treasured that independence ever since his left arm was blown off in World War 2 by a Japanese grenade.

Within a year, the former timber cutter from Tarnagulla had retired to a mountaintop farm up a timber-getters’ track from Orbost. In almost perfect solitude, he set to work. He put up fences, tended his 40 cattle, learned to cook, chopped wood, and mastered the chainsaw with just one arm. He spread superphosphate over his rugged 56 ha property by slinging the bag around his neck and tossing the powder out by hand, while he clambered over terrain too steep for a tractor. He even built himself a shed.

“ I just stood the nails up and hit them before they fell over,” the tall recluse said, his rugged face in a smile. “But it’s been a hard life,” he admitted as a Gippsland drizzle started to wet his shambling two-room cottage. Sometimes six months go by without a visitor. “But you get used to anything,” he said.

Besides, in 1943, there was no other work for him. “When you’ve only got one arm, they won’t look at you. Besides, I didn’t have the education for a desk job,” he said. What has helped him survive his test was a book a man once lent him, when he was driving cabs in Brisbane in the 1930s. ‘Personal Power’ it was called, and Douthat has spent much of his quiet hours memorising pages of it

“Nothing is hopeless until it has been thoroughly attempted,” he quoted solemnly. He likes to prove it by peeling an orange with one hand, or showing how he can cut his fingernails.

Douthat, now with a disability pension, could leave his lonely hilltop with its broad and beautiful views of forest and sea, and move to Orbost or Melbourne. ‘But I’m not leaving. If I didn’t work, I’d be dead by now,’ he said.”

Reprinted courtesy The Herald, Melbourne. October 4th, 1985.

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: Douthat | Leave a comment

Harry Edward Douthat

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Waanyarra Admin

Son of Robert and Margaret (nee Wilshusen) from a letter written in 1987

“I was born in Hargreaves Street, Golden Square, but left there when I was two years old. My father’s name was Robert Douthat and my mother was Margaret Wilshusen of Nuggetty Flat. My father worked on the steam engines around Tarnagulla.

After my father died in 1908 my mother married a man named Yelland. We had seven children in our family and Mum had two more sons when she married George Yelland. Mum went to live in Corryong, my sister Vera went to live there too. Mum, Vera and my half-brother George died at Corryong, my other half brother Charlie still lives there, he is 77.

My brother Alver and I are the only ones of our family still alive, brother Jim died in Orbost last year. Vera was 85 when she died and Mum was 92.

I have two daughters and one son from my first marriage, my son died when I was in New Guinea during the war. I have a son from my second marriage, he is living in Western Australia. My brother Alver lost his arm whilst serving in the Second World War.”

Categories: Families of Waanyarra | Tags: Douthat, Wilshusen, Yelland | 3 Comments