Rockbank Sheep Station

"Rockbank estate starts about a mile south-westerly from Sir Rupert's estate at Sunbury, and runs due south for a distance of twenty miles, to within a few miles of Footscray, its area being about 54,000 acres.
It is traversed in a south-easterly direction by Kororoit Creek, a stream which has its rise near Mount Aitken, and flows into the river near Williamstown. Its northern boundary is formed by Sunbury, and the Mount Aitken estate, held by Mr Henry Beattie, who is held to be one of the best judges of stock in Australia. On the east is the estate of Mr William Taylor, on the west the Eynesbury estate, belonging to Mr Samuel Staughton, M.L.A, the broad lands of Mr Henry Staughton, Mr Matthew Brown's Green-hill estate, and the prosperous farm district and town of Melton. South-westerly Rockbank runs continuously with the Werribee district for a distance of three and a half miles. 

The estate is approachable from several railway stations. On the south-east corner of Rockbank is the Deer Park railway station, on the Bacchus Marsh line; the Rockbank railway station is about in the middle of the estate; the Diggers' Rest railway station to the north-east; Sunbury to the north, and Sydenham about three miles distant, to the east. It takes about three quarter's of an hour's travelling to accomplish the railway journey from Melbourne."

(The Weekly Times 21 August 1897.)

Koroit Creek Rockbank Homestead and Outbuildings (The Weekly Times 21 August 1897)

Thoughtful Thursday

This is an excerpt from a story in the Age on 14 February 1950, about my great grandparents Golden Wedding Anniversary. This photo accompanied the story.

Golden Wedding Anniversary

Trust— Formula for Married Bliss

"We got married on 25/- a week, but don't call it 'the good old days.' They were 'bad' old when we were married."

Such was the chorused reply from Mr. and Mrs. Richard Proctor, yesterday, In answer to the question: "Is it harder for young people starting married life today than In your day ?"

And Mr. and Mrs. Proctor should know, for today they are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

“But," said Mrs. Proctor, "we’ve had plenty of arguments and little cross words, and all this stuff about 'never an argument in 50 years' is nonsense."

"There is a way, though, to a long and happy married life" said Mr. Proctor, "and it's mutual trust and no secrets. I've never had any secrets from my wife. Honey, here, has always managed the house, and she still does; I've never interfered.”…

Mrs. Proctor has known her husband, who is nine years her senior, for 58 years. Mr. Proctor was born in Collingwood, and Mrs. Proctor (Jean Mary Allan), a cousin of a former State Premier, the late John Allan, was born in Fitzroy.

Mr. Proctor was a builder for most of his working life, which ended 10 years ago. He built the house in which they have lived for the past 34 years, and in his young days helped build the late Dame Nellie Melba's famous house, Coombe Cottage, at Coldstream.

Mr. and Mrs. Proctor have four children and eight grandchildren. "No wonder we're so

happy." said Mrs. Proctor. "With our children and grandchildren around us we have no worries.”

They are both teetotallers, but Mr. Proctor is a prodigious pipe smoker. "Must have smoked a ton or two in my time," said Mr. Proctor, "but I never could take cigarettes. Why, when I was away with the A.I.F. in the first war I used to give my ration away."

"See you in 20 years," called this happy man as he and his equally happy wife waved good-bye from the sunny verandah of their Surrey Hills home.

"Don't be silly, dear," said his wife.

"Aw  you never know, honey, we may. be around," he answered.

And, if happiness keeps the old young, then maybe they will.

It all helps

It’s good to have all the help you can get when you are writing; to that end, I subscribe to a software program that works with Word, called ProWriting Aid. Most of the time it’s invaluable, pointing out repeated words, style issues, sentence structure and readability, other times it labours over readability because there’s one or two words it doesn’t “like”. But I am finding it a valuable addition to my writing toolbox. 

 

One of ProWriting Aid’s partner organisations had an offer on some online short courses for a very tempting, low, fee. I enrolled, have watched/listened to half of one of the courses and have already learned heaps about non-fiction writing. Should be helpful with McBeath’s biography.

On the McBeath biography subject, I have had great encouragement from the Local and Family History Librarian at Boroondara and am going to the library in a couple of weeks to do some research. (McBeath was Mayor four times.) Ploughing on.