John Cree

M, #25535
Land-Berwick*19 Feb 1853Selection: BER-Crown-16. 552a 0r 0p - purchase price L966.1,2 
Land-Berwick*b 1855 BER-Crown-16. Transfer from John Cree to John Inglis. 
Note*5 Jul 1856 Possible match:
On the 25th ult., at Benalla, the residence of his father-in-law, after a long illness, Mr. John Cree, late merchant, Melbourne, in the 33rd year of his age.3 
Land-Note* BER-Crown-16. James Buchanan This land was later owned by Inglis, and then by Robert and James Buchanan. 

Citations

  1. [S81] Land Records & Parish Maps ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria). Parish plan - see Applications 7502 + 7503
    Parish plan has date 29 Mar 1853; land purchase document has date 19 Feb 1853.
  2. [S81] Land Records & Parish Maps ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria). Crown Land Sales - VPRS 11866/P0001, Book E, Country Land, 07 May 1851 - 04 May 1854; Pre-Emptive, 14 Nov 1853 - 09 Jan 1856.
    Folio 64. 29th March 1853. John Cree, Berwick Parish. Section 16. 552a 0r 0p. Date of Deed 25 Aug 1853. Sent to Treasurer 11 Oct 1853. Reg Book No 12 Page 202.
  3. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Sat 5 Jul 1856, p4
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7132668
Last Edited2 May 2023

John Ure

M, #25536, b. 17 Dec 1841, d. 22 Jul 1926
ChartsDescendants of John BUCHANAN
Birth*17 Dec 1841 St Ninians, Stirlingshire, Scotland.1 
Marriage*1871 Spouse: Jean Buchanan. Kirkintilloch, Scotland, John Ure & Jane Buchanan, 1871, Kirkintilloch. Ref 498/ 33.2
 
Land-Gembrook*1875Selection: GEM--69.70. 213a 2r 8p (168a + 45a) Land File 1893/19.20
Survey requested 23/10/74 Charge £17. Charted 25/1/1875. Date of license to occupy 1/6/75. Survey 1/10/75 - Application for license. Crown Grant issued 19/2/84
On his application for renewal of lease on 24/6/78 John Ure stated he had: A house 24 x 13 feet, a dairy, a hut, a cowshed stable. Total value of improvements was £355/9/-
He bought his land for £214 on 6/12/1873 (? - date unclear).3,4 
Widower28 Feb 1905John Ure became a widower upon the death of his wife Jean Buchanan.5 
Death*22 Jul 1926 Gembrook North, VIC, Australia, #D9907/1926 (Age 85) [par Alexander URE & Margaret ROBERTSON].6,7,8 
Death-Notice*24 Jul 1926 URE. On the 22nd July, at Gembrook North, John Ure, beloved father of Alexander, John, Robert and James, aged 85 years.
URE.—The Friends of the late Mr. JOHN URE are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment, the Berwick Cemetery.
The funeral will leave his residence, Gembrook North THIS DAY (Saturday 24th July), at 10 a.m., arriving at the cemetery at 12 noon.7 

Newspaper-Articles

  • 6 Nov 1914: DOSE OF LINIMENT. GEMBROOK, Thursday - Mr J Ure Snr., a pioneer of the district, swallowed a dose of liniment by mistake this morning. He was given an emetic, and a doctor was sent for from Lilydale. Mr Ure's condition is serious.9
  • 28 Aug 1926: WILLS AND estates. John Ure, of Gembrook North, farmer, who died on July 22, left real estate £3659 and personal property £183 to his children.10
  • 19 Jun 1943: Check which son:
    THURSDAY. JULY 29. At Two O'clock.
    In the Supreme Court of the State of Victoria. Fi Fa.
    Notice is hereby given, that under and by virtue of certain process issued out of the Supreme Court of the State of Victoria and directed to the Sheriff requiring him to levy certain moneys of the real and personal estate of J. Ure, of Gembrook, farmer, the said Sheriff will on Thursday, the twenty-ninth day of July, 1943, at the hour of two o'clock in the afternoon, CAUSE to be SOLD at the post-office at Gembrook (unless the said process shall have been previously satisfied or the said Sheriff be otherwise stayed), all the right, title, estate, and interest (if any) of the said J. Ure, in and to all that piece of land, containing 50 acres or thereabouts, and being part of Crown Allotment 69, parish of Gembrook, county of Evelyn, and being the land more particularly described in Certificate of Title, volume 5415, folio 1082940.
    N.B. Terms, cash. No cheques taken. Dated at Melbourne this 18th day of June. 1943.
    JOSEPH H. BARLING. Sheriff's Officer.11
  • 17 Apr 1974: Change crept in on tip-toe
    GEMBROOK, Victoria, population fewer than 400, is making local history over Easter remembering its past.
    The township is marking its centenary with celebrations that are drawing back scores of Gembrook people from distant places plus hundreds of other visitors. One problem has been where to put them all.
    "We're doing our darnedest to provide meals for everyone." said a member of the centenary committee.
    "But, with Gembrook being so small, accommodation is a bit of a problem. We've had to ask people to open up their homes to visitors and old-timers.
    Celebrations are spread over three days - April 13-15 and begin at 10 a.m.
    Easter Saturday with a back-to-school historical display. A costume ball in the evening has encouraged residents and relatives to delve into attics and cupboards for clothes their grandparents might have worn.
    Sunday is barbecue day the first at noon in the Forestry Camp, and another in the evening at the pioneer settlement established 100 years ago by the Ure family on what is now Ure Road.
    Monday, the final day, is given over to Gembrook Show, a full day's country style entertainment, with a wood chop, dog parade, wood chop, horse gymkhana, and a parade of vintage and veteran cars.
    Potato-growing and cattle-grazing are Gembrook's chief money-earners.
    But over the years, the little town nestled in Victoria's beautiful Dandenong Ranges. 39 miles from Melbourne, has become a haven for potters and painters. Tom Roberts and Sir Arthur Streeton were among well-known Australian artists who found inspiration there.
    Change has crept on tip-toe through Gembrook, most of it at the hands of nature — the shade trees spreading taller and wider, the masonry becoming more mellowed by rain and sun. The tiny, white-painted wooden church is one of
    Victoria's smallest.
    But the town was not always so peaceful. In the 1850s, propectors combed the area for gold, tin, and gemstones. Chinese miners swarmed round the few pockets of payable gold.
    Timber was a more important asset than gold. Huge logs hauled out by bullock teams and later by the narrow gauge railway. The last of the bullockies, Bill Robinson, led the grand parade at the Royal Melbourne Show up to his death in 1971. But the history of
    Gembrook really started with the Ure family who migrated from Scotland in 1874. Their descendants still live on the family's original selection along Pancake Creek. A little way down the hill, their log-built pioneer settlement still stands, though somewhat tumble-down and awry.
    lt consists of a grocer's store, cheese factory, butcher's shop with original meat choppers and block intact — cottages and haylofts. Hundred-year-old roses twine lovingly over the Ures' first cottage.
    The settlement is now on the land of Mr. Geoffrey Ure, a fourth generation descendant. During tri-centenary celebrations, the buildings will be open to the public, admission 25c. each.
    Just across the road live Mr. Robert Ure and his wife Lola. "We wouldn't live in Melbourne for anything. Whenever we go there, we come home with a headache." They have three sons — Geoffrey and Graeme in their 20s, and 18-year-old Peter.
    — SELENA SUMMERS
    Images: Below Work on the 2ft. 6in. gauge Puffing Billy railway from Gembrook to Ferntree Gully late last century. Only a short stretch of the line is still used — as a tourist attraction.
    Below: Grocer's shop in the Ures' log-built pioneer settlement, which will be open for visitors to inspect.
    Gembrook's main street in the early 1920s (above) and (right) today. Only hustle and bustle is in the leaves of the trees.12

Citations

  1. [S80] Ancestry - Family Tree, Shirley Robson
    https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/…
  2. [S250] General Register Office for Scotland Indexes "Statutory Marriages
    John Ure & Jane Buchanan, 1871, Kirkintilloch. Ref 498/ 33."
  3. [S81] Land Records & Parish Maps ; PROV (Public Record Office Victoria). Land File 1893/19.20 (VPRS 626 Unit 1572).
  4. [S61] Upper Beaconsfield History Archive ,"Land file viewed by Charles Wilson."
  5. [S22] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (online).
  6. [S80] Ancestry - Family Tree, Shirley Robson.
  7. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Sat 24 Jul 1926, p32
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3797644
  8. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online).
  9. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Fri 6 Nov 1914, p10
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10815973
  10. [S14] Newspaper - Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.), Sat 28 Aug 1926, p8
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223337839
  11. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Sat 19 Jun 1943, p14
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11346093
  12. [S14] Newspaper - The Australian Women's Weekly Wed 17 Apr 1974, p48
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51273904
Last Edited27 Jun 2023

James O'Donnell

M, #25540, b. 1832, d. 27 Dec 1898
Birth*1832 
Marriage* Spouse: Mary Neville.
 
Note*1890 Rated for two properties. Each House 50 acres Eummemering NAV 40 / NAV 30 (paid by Mary O'D.)1 
Death*27 Dec 1898 Dandenong, VIC, Australia, #D15947/1898 (Age 66) [par unknown].2 
Death-Notice*28 Dec 1898 O'DONNELL.—On the 27th December, at his late residence, M'Crae-street, Dandenong, James O'Donnell, aged 66 years.3 

Grave

  • Dandenong Cemetery, Dandenong, VIC, Australia4,5

Newspaper-Articles

  • 31 Mar 1866: BERWICK DISTRICT BOARD.
    An ordinary meeting of the above board vas held on the 24th instant, seven members being present. ... Tenders were then opened for various works, and Mr. James O'Donnell's tender for a stone ford, &c., at the Eumemmering Creek, on Donelly's Road, was accepted for £49.6
  • 19 Oct 1867: Cranbourne. — This board met on Saturday. Present: Messrs Jas. Lecky (chairman), Keys, Norquay, F. Poole, Tucker, Foley and Patterson. A letter was received from James O'Donnell, a contractor, to the effect that he had presented himself at the office three minutes after the advertised time for receiving tenders, for the purpose of depositing his in the tender-box, and that the box was then removed, and the clerk refused to receive the tender. Consideration postponed till three o'clock.7
  • 31 Aug 1869: The sittings of the City Police Court yesterday occupied seven hours, fifty cases being adjudicated upon. ... The second case, detaining the magistrate for more than an hour and a half, was one of a man named O'Donnell, residing at Berwick, who was summoned by John Summer for having a horse in his possession which had been stolen from him. The defendant had purchased the horse for £35 from a man named Williams, and produced his receipt ; and in order to allow time for the arrest of the horse stealer, the bench reserved their decision for eight days.8
  • 15 Mar 1871: SHIRE COUNCIL. Berwick.- This council met on Saturday, the president (Mr. Henty) in the chair. Councillors Brisbane, Bain, Barr, Burry, Nixon, and O'Connor, were also present. Councillor Stewart, returned at the late election, made the usual declaration, and took his seat.
    Tenders for works were opened, and the following were accepted:—James O'Donnell's at £292, maintenance metal for main road : that of G. Aurisch, at £46 19s., clearing Hessells-road ; that of Collier and Co., at £79 10s., for works on Horner's and Fern-tree Gully roads ; James O'Donnell's, at £20 2s, 9d., works on Bowman's-lane, and that of H. Edebohl's, at £13 7s., works on Koenig's-road.9
  • 3 Apr 1871: WANTED. STONEBREAKERS, on Gipps Land road, between Dandenong and Berwick, James O'Donnell.10
  • 29 Oct 1885: Death of mother-in-law: NEVILLE. — On the 28th October, at the residence of her son-in-law, Mr. James O'Donnell, Eumemerring, Mrs. Bridget Neville, the beloved mother of Cornelius, James and William Neville, aged 80 years. R.I.P.11
  • 16 Jun 1886: Berwick Shire Council. Correspondence. From Jas. O'Donnell, Berwick, asking the Council to allow him 10s. per chain extra on his contract for repairing road in Scoresby Riding, as during the progress of the work he was unable to keep the traffic off the centre of the road, the consequence being that he had to employ extra labor to have the work completed within contract time, and the men were repeatedly kept idle while vehicles were passing over the road, the amount asked for being £5 5s.—The Engineer was instructed to inspect the road and obtain further information by next meeting.12
  • 8 Aug 1888: SHIRE OF BERWICK. Election of Councillor.—BERWICK RIDING.
    I herby give notice that FRANCIS BARR and JAMES O'DONNELL
    Have been nominated for the Office of Councillor for Berwick Riding. and as the number exceeds the number required a Poll will be held at the Shire Hall, Berwick, on Thursday, August 9th, commencing at Eight o'clock a.m. and closing at Four o'clock in the afternoon.
    JAMES GIBB, Returning Officer. July 31,1888. Francis Barr13
  • 15 Aug 1888: ANNUAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
    The annual municipal elections took place throughout the colony on Thursday last, and inmost instances passed off in a very quiet manner.
    Berwick. In this Shire the following retiring members were returned unopposed: Councillor F. Barr for Berwick Riding, Councillor James Ramage for Pakenham Riding, and Councillor John T. Dobson for Scoresby Riding. In the Beaconsfield Riding the retiring member, Councillor Wm. H. Goff, was opposed by H. H. Hatfield, and the result of the poll was Goff, 145; Hatfield, 91. S. Paternoster was elected auditor. Francis Barr14
  • 22 Apr 1891: The following tenders were accepted: metalling cemetery road, Berwick, J. O'Donnell. £76 15s;15
  • 27 May 1891: The following tenders were accepted: Asphalting footpath, Berwick, J. O'Donnell, £78 8s.16
  • 17 Sep 1891: STEALING FROM THE PERSON.
    Between 9 p.m. and 12 o'clock midnight on the 12th instant James O'Donnell, contractor, of Berwick, was robbed of a cheque for L3 4s 4d, another cheque for L13 16s, another cheque for L5, drawn on the Commercial Bank, Berwick, and signed by Jesse Sykes, George Buchanan and Thomas Bent, members of the Berwick Shire Council. He was also robbed of a L5 note, two L1 notes, and a silver watch, the whole being valued at L66. Mr O'Donnell does not know how or by whom the robbery was committed. Jessey Sykes17

Citations

  1. [S66] Berwick Shire Rates, 1870-1965 1890/91 Rates, entries 234 + 235.
  2. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online).
  3. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), Wed 28 Dec 1898, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/192570308
  4. [S38] Index of burials in the cemetery of O'DONNELL James 27/12/1898 66 husband of Mary
    O'DONNELL Mary 26/2/1915 80 wife of James, daughter of James & Bridget Neville      
    O'DONNELL James 24/7/1890 24 buried with par James & Mary & Margaret Asling (photo 1438/1440)
    O'DONNELL Anne H 21/9/1886 27 granddaughter to James & Bridget Neville
    (photo 1468/1472)    ,.
  5. [S38] Index of burials in the cemetery of 1444/1445 NEVILLE Cornelius 26/8/1911 78                       
    1467/1472 NEVILLE James 28/7/1863 60 (spouse Bridget - buried with Ann H O'Donnell, Margaret Asling, sons Denis & Michael, John)               
    1467/1472 NEVILLE Bridget 28/10/1885 84 (wife of James)           
    1469/1471 NEVILLE Denis 17/1/1860 29 (par James & Bridget)
    1469/1471 NEVILLE Michael 23/7/1875 27 (par James & Bridget)          
    1470/1471 NEVILLE John 6/1/1878 28                ,.
  6. [S14] Newspaper - The Telegraph, St Kilda, Prahran and South Yarra Guardian (Vic.), Sat 31 Mar 1866, p4
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108122333
  7. [S14] Newspaper - Leader (Melbourne, Vic.), Sat 19 Oct 1867, p13
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196635298
  8. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), Tue 31 Aug 1869, p2
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188572978
  9. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Wed 15 Mar 1871, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5844370
  10. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Mon 3 Apr 1871, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5845424
  11. [S16] Newspaper - The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), Thu 29 Oct 1885, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197030359
  12. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Wed 16 Jun 1886, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70392858
  13. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Wed 8 Aug 1888, p2
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70031729
  14. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Wed 15 Aug 1888, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70031772
  15. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Wed 22 Apr 1891, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70012711
  16. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Wed 27 May 1891, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70012858
  17. [S14] Newspaper - The Herald (Melbourne, Vic.), Thu 17 Sep 1891, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241550204
Last Edited8 Apr 2021

Susan Towt

F, #25546, d. 1921
ChartsDescendants of William WILSON
Married NameWilson. 
Marriage*19 Sep 1866 Spouse: Thomas Wilson. Rose Hill, Boroondara, VIC, Australia, #M2765/1866.1
 
Marriage-Notice*20 Sep 1866 MARRIAGE. Wilson—Towt.—On the 19th September, at Rose Hill, Boroondara, by the Rev. A. Duff, M.A., Thomas, youngest son of William Wilson. Esq., Crescent, Brighton to Susan, second daughter of John Towt, Esq.2 
Death*1921 Brighton, VIC, Australia, #D559/1921 (Age 74) par John TOWT & Elizabeth FORD.3 

Citations

  1. [S27] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Marriages) (online) "#M2765/1866."
  2. [S14] Newspaper - The Herald (Melbourne, Vic.), Thu 20 Sep 1866, p2
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244424019
  3. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online) "#D559/1921 - born BRIGHTON."
Last Edited10 Sep 2022

Elizabeth Smith

F, #25551, b. 1831, d. 17 Aug 1903
Married NameBarr. 
Birth*1831 
Marriage*10 Apr 1852 Spouse: Francis Barr. Upleatham, Yorkshire, England.1
 
(Migrant) Migration/Travel6 Aug 1853 Sailing with Francis Barr to Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Ship Asia from Liverpool with wife Elizabeth and their infant son John.2
 
Death*17 Aug 1903 Narre Warren, VIC, Australia, #D8699/1903 (Age 72) (par Jas SMITH & Johanna Unknown) - as Elizth BARR.3 
Death-Notice*18 Aug 1903 BARR.—On the 17th August, at her residence, "Cleveland," Narre Warren, Elizabeth, beloved wife of Francis Barr, aged 72 years.4 

Family

 Francis Barr b. 1826, d. 8 Sep 1911
Child 1.Harry Smith Barr5 b. 1870

Citations

  1. [S65] Ancestry - various indices, England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
    Francis Barr & Elizabeth Smith, married 10 Apr 1852 at Upleatham, York, England. Record ID: 9852::14402613.
  2. [S80] Ancestry - Family Tree, amber4000 (Moy Family Tree).
  3. [S28] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Deaths) (online) "#D8699/1903 (Age 72) (par Jas SMITH & Johanna Unknown) - as Elizth BARR, Death registered at Berwick, Australia."
  4. [S11] Newspaper - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), Tue 18 Aug 1903, p1
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9816993
  5. [S26] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Births) (online).
Last Edited29 Mar 2023

Harry Smith Barr

M, #25558, b. 1870
Father*Francis Barr1 b. 1826, d. 8 Sep 1911
Mother*Elizabeth Smith1 b. 1831, d. 17 Aug 1903
Birth*1870 Berwick, VIC, Australia, #B13928/1870.1 

Newspaper-Articles

  • 6 Apr 1911: Mr. H. S. Barr announces that he is a candidate for the vacancy in the Berwick riding of the Shire of Berwick, caused by the retirement of Cr. Riley. Thomas Jefferson Riley2
  • 27 Apr 1911: Mr. H. S. Barr has been elected to fill the extraordinary vacancy in the Berwick Riding of the Shire of Berwick, caused by the retirement of Cr Riley. Mr. Barr has already had some municipal experience. Thomas Jefferson Riley3

Citations

  1. [S26] Victorian Government. BDM Index Victoria (Births) (online).
  2. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Thu 6 Apr 1911, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66203548
  3. [S12] Newspaper - South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic.), Thu 27 Apr 1911, p3
    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66203643
Last Edited5 Apr 2022
 

NOTE

Some family sections show only the children who were associated with Upper Beaconsfield.

Some individuals may be featured because members of their family were associated with the Upper Beaconsfield area, even though they themselves never lived here.