Something special

While we were home I was browsing a bookstore in Sunbury and realised that Pip Butler has published her history of South Gisborne.

We met Pip some time ago and had seen drafts of chapters for this book.  We already knew it going to be better than the average social history book of an area.  It helps to be a journalist and professional editor.

Really though - it's the content that matters most - and Pip has done a wonderful job collecting information about our area.  The tags you can see in the photo are all the places where our farm is mentioned - and I've probably still missed some.

A summary of the history of our farm and house, drawn mainly from Pip's book, is as follows:

	Before 1836 Occupied for at least 40,000 years by Aboriginal people – of whom few clues now remain.
	1836   John Aitken occupies the Mt Aitken area – presumably including Moora. – running Merino sheep.
	1850   Aitken loses 20,000 acres (of 24,000) to WJT Clarke’s Special Survey.
	June 1857 Land sales in Melbourne.  Lot 15 (incorporating the present Moora sold to ‘wealthy Melbourne investor’ George Urquhart (p36).  Lot 15 is 134 acres on the South Western corner of the intersection of Couangalt Rd and Tweddle Rd.  The property was rectangular and went about 600 metres along Couangalt Rd and about 900 metres down Tweddle Rd.
	6 years until 1864/5 John and Robert Brodie lived in an ‘inferior homestead’ on their rented farm – thought to be Moora (p52).  In 1865 a shire inspection report said it was ‘impoverished by ploughing’ – one of at least a dozen farms said to be showing signs of soil exhaustion through continual cultivation. The building they used may have existed through to the 1970s when a ‘rough hut’ stood a short distance from the main house.
	Shortly after 1863 Francis (Frank) and Caroline Crow sold Green Valley, the farm to the immediate south of Moora, to Frank’s sister and brother in law (George & Jane Woodworth) and acquired ‘a fertile 134 acres on Green Valley’s northern side’ – ‘today’s Moora’.  ‘Here he ran a small dairy herd of 20 cows as well as growing hay’ (p340-1).  Growing hay and oats was to be the major use of agricultural land in the district until cars and tractors replaced horses in the 1920s, 30s, 40s - and maybe even through until the early 1950s.  We have found a lot of ironmongery when doing work around the yard - including quite a few horse shoes.
	1867   The Moora house was in existence by this date (p46).  An 1867 coin was found above a door lintel when Stephen Swan did the renovations.  The placing of coins above doorways was said to be an Irish good luck custom (p46).  It seems the house must have been built by Frank and Caroline Crow.
	1887 – 1894 First William and Frederick Greenwood buy Green Valley with help from their father Abel.  Another brother Abel Jr moved to the property and bought Pine View – as Moora was then known (p105).  He leased it to Willie Benson from about 1895 (p105).
	Early 1900s Abel Greenwood wanted to sell Pine View to Willie Benson, but couldn’t because his brother William’s name was also on the title and couldn’t be found (p105).
	1912 The Greenwoods go to the Supreme Court to have William’s name taken off the title – and then sell Pine View to Willie Benson.  He was to remain there until his retirement in 1940.
	1928 Willie Benson married Gwen Ashe – who had grown up nearby (p149).  Gwen moved to Pine View and became very active in the area – Red Cross, CWA and the Anglican church.
	1940 Willie Benson sells Pine View to Hugh and Kathleen Robertson.  They rename the property Garrah (p210).
	1941 Flax was being grown on Garrah (p210).  There was a war purpose to the flax growing - presumably the same purpose that led to a flax mill at Marshlands near our old home town in New Zealand.
	14 Jan1944 Fires burns through Garrah, but it suffers comparatively little damage.
	1970s Farms in South Gisborne, including Pine View / Garrah were subdivided.  Garrah was divided into (initially) 5 properties.  About 1975 Stephen Swan bought the northern part of the property (about 600m x 420m – 63 acres) and names it Moora.  Sometime later he subdivides 2 blocks in the north western corner - bringing it back to its present 57 acres. By that time the house was derelict.  Stephen renovates the house through the 1980s and 1990s.
	Mar 2005 Graham and Kristina Holdaway acquire Moora.