This is part of a piece from the Bacchus Marsh Express, Saturday 23rd April 1892. Applicable, seeing as today is Saturday, 23rd April :) The house mentioned in the article, is the one in the picture. It was burnt down (deliberately by vandals) in the 1990s.)
"To
return from this digression. Having arrived
at the now thoroughly appointed Rockbank homesteading the query was put to a man working in the garden "Is Mr. Mitchel at home?" to which question receiving an affirmative …Making my way to a commodious brick building of very elegant exterior, partaking of the dual character of villa and mansion, I stepped across a spacious verandah and put the knocker into requisition. In a brief space the door was answered by the Manager in person, but as I have never arrived at the dignity of pasteboard the introduction had to be a verbal one. Knowing the power of the fourth estate I supplemented it with "I am Ramrod, of the Express, and have come to ask permission for a day's shooting." Receiving a cordial invitation to enter, I was piloted down a wide, handsome, delightfully cool hall to the office, a large room replete with every clerical appliance. Before we were well seated, Mr. Mitchel, with the hospitality characteristic of the old" pastoral era, said "have you had breakfast ?" a query which elicited the reply "yes, thank you."
...and I was delighted to find that the frank unassuming man that sat before me was one of those geniuses that we do not meet with every day."
I will be speaking of "Mr Mitchel" at 2pm on 30th April at Melton Library, for the Heritage Festival.
