Showing posts with label Dhurringile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dhurringile. Show all posts

Sunday, 14 August 2016

NFHM Blogging Challenge - Week 2 - Farming ancestors.

August is National Family History month in Australia and Alex, at Family Tree Frog has instigated a blogging challenge.

Week 2 - Sunday 14 August - Your working ancestors and the challenges they faced in their occupations.

Most of my ancestors were involved in farming of one sort or another including both my grandfathers and their father's before them.
I have re-hashed a post from last year about my farming paternal grandfatherJim FORSYTH (born James MUSSON 1906 - 1976).

His MUSSON ancestors were also farmers in New Zealand and England. 


His FORSYTH ancestors were farmers in New Zealand and Meal Millers in Aberdeenshire, Scotland 



After he came to Australia and married my grandmother, Brenda DANIELS nee ADAMS, in 1937, my grandfather would buy a rundown farm, improve it, sell it and move on.  
They moved on nearly every twelve to eighteen months, mainly around Victoria, but he once had a pineapple farm at Woombye in Queensland.  

He worked long hard hours to improve each farm which would have been a real challenge.
The Australian electoral rolls show many of their movements although some of the years were a bit out.  Dad's memory fills in some gaps.
They moved to Tatura from Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria around 1942.
At Tatura he bought a truck and did cartage for the internment camp at Dhurringile during WW2. 
In 1944 he bought a farm at Girgarre East, Victoria
In 1946 they farmed at Stanhope South, Victoria
1949 at Mooroopna, Victoria
1950 at Shepparton East, Victoria
1951 at Glenrowan, Victoria
1952 at Marungi, Victoria
1953 at Trafalgar, Victoria
1956 at Woombye, Queensland
From 1957 until his death in 1976 he was in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria.


Mooroopna, Victoria 1949
Woombye, Queensland 1954 - 1956
In the latter years, piggeries seemed to be my grandfather's preferred choice of farming.  He must have had an affinity with the husbandry and knowledge of growing pigs as his advice was often sought and he was referred to as "The Professor" by other local farmers in the industry.


  
L-R my brother, my grandfather and my dad at the farm at 535 Archer Road, Kialla, Victoria, ca 1968.
A plant nursery is now situated at this address.

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Dhurringile mansion - Sepia Saturday #340

This week's Sepia Saturday theme is picture postcards.

I have a picture postcard of the Dhurringile mansion from my grandmother's photo album.

My maternal grandparents Archie and Daisy FLEMING lived there for a couple of years. 
My grandfather was employed to teach the boys farming.



You can read more about the mansion HERE

 An excerpt:
"In 1947, Dhurringile was purchased by the Presbyterian Church for use as a home for immigrants boys from the United Kingdom whose fathers had died during the war. The intention was to train the boys in farming methods to prepare them for employment. By this time the homestead was in a deteriorating condition and substantial repairs and alterations were needed. The Dhurringile Rural Training Farm did not open until 13 June 1951. Life in the home was spartan, difficulties were encountered in recruiting boys from Scotland and the scheme had limited success. The Commonwealth Government continued to provide increasing financial support to the home in accordance with an immigration policy to promote British migration, but difficulties persisted and a decision was made in 1964 to close the Dhurringile Rural Training Farm."

CLICK HERE TO READ OTHER'S SEPIA SATURDAY POSTS


Thursday, 10 September 2015

Working for a Living - 52 Ancestors - Week 36

Many of my ancestors were farmers.  
My Paternal grandfather, Jim FORSYTH (born James MUSSON 1906 - 1976) was a farmer. 
His MUSSON ancestors were also farmers in New Zealand and England. 
His FORSYTH ancestors were farmers in New Zealand and Meal Millers in Aberdeenshire, Scotland 
After he came to Australia and married my grandmother, Brenda DANIELS nee ADAMS, in 1937, my grandfather bought a rundown farm, improved it, sold it and moved on.  They moved on nearly every twelve to eighteen months, mainly around Victoria, but he once had a pineapple farm at Woombye in Queensland.  

He worked long hard hours to improve each farm.
The Australian electoral rolls show many of their movements although some of the years were a bit out.  Dad's memory fills in some gaps.
They moved to Tatura from Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria around 1942.
At Tatura he bought a truck and did cartage for the internment camp at Dhurringile during WW2. 
In 1944 he bought a farm at Girgarre East, Victoria
In 1946 they farmed at Stanhope South, Victoria
1949 at Mooroopna, Victoria
1950 at Shepparton East, Victoria
1951 at Glenrowan, Victoria
1952 at Marungi, Victoria
1953 at Trafalgar, Victoria
1956 at Woombye, Queensland
From 1957 until his death in 1976 he was in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria.
Mooroopna, Victoria 1949
Woombye, Queensland 1954 - 1956




L-R my brother, my grandfather and my dad, Kialla, Victoria, ca 1968.