Step Back In Time - White Pages...farming on Quondong Farm and moved to the then newly developing...
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Tuesday, November 15, 2016 — 7 Narrandera Argus Narrandera Argus Narrandera Argus Narrandera Argus Narrandera Argus www.narranderaargus.com.au Step Back In Time NARRANDERA FAMILIES: DROVER Former Narrandera Argus newspaper proprietor the late Donald Drover was a descendant of the convict William Drover and worked in the printing trade after completing school at Narrandera, first briefly at the Narandera Ensign and then at the Narandera Argus. Narrandera was then spelt with a single ‘r. Donald became proprietor of the Argus in 1931, taking over on the retirement of the owner Edward Lapthorne. He married Marjorie Jean McCann at Castlemaine, Victoria, on April 8, 1926 and the couple lived in Cadell Street, Narrandera. They had two sons Donald Prosper and Geoffrey William. Donald Drover senior took office in many organisations in Narrandera and also served a term as president of the NSW Country Press Association. He died at Narrandera on May 25, 1965, aged 75 and was still running the newspaper at the time. He was buried in the Narrandera Cemetery. The following year his wife sold the newspaper to a locally formed company the Narrandera Argus Pty Ltd, which still owns the newspaper. Marjorie Drover died at Narrandera on June 14, 1985, aged 86. Her death brought to an end the Drover family life at Narrandera, which started almost a century before with George Drover recorded Iiving in the town in 1888. Early members of the Drover dynasty William and Elizabeth Manon Drover were married at Corowa at St John’s Church of England on August 9, 1879, by the Rev Herbert E Thomson and William’s sister Charlotte was a witness at the ceremony. The groom was the son of William and Eliza Ann Drover and was born at Wangaratta, Victoria, on April 2, 1857. His early years were spent at Wangaratta, except while at Albury when apprenticed to John McEachern to learn the blacksmithing trade. William was the third generation of Drover black- smiths at Wangaratta. He told how lookouts were needed at the North Wangaratta shop when doing work for the Kelly gang of bushrangers to watch out for the police. One of the gang, Steve Hart, was about the same age as William Drover and grew up at Wangaratta. Steve Hart died in the police siege at the Glenrowan Inn on April 28, 1880 with Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly. The gang leader, Ned Kelly, was wounded and captured and later hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol on November 11 the same year. Elizabeth was the eldest child of George and Christina Soles and was born at Indigo, near Rutherglen, on July 29, 1859, 10 months after her parents arrived in the colony of Victoria from the UK. The Soles family was living at Rutherglen when William Drover senior arrived with William and Charlotte, and settled on Quongdong Farm at Corowa after leaving Wangaratta following the death of John Drover. On December 17, 1881, son Prosper William John George Drover was born at Corowa and he was followed by daughter Theodosia Eliza Maudline on November 28, 1882, also born at Corowa. The Drovers gave up farming on Quondong Farm and moved to the then newly developing Junee Junction (now Junee) and went back to blacksmithing. The railway line was going through the district at the time. Theodosia died on May 9, 1885, aged 2 years and 6 months from congestion of the lungs and was one of the early ones buried in the Junee Cemetery. The stay at Junee Junction was a brief one and land had become available for selection at Methul, north of Coolamon. The family moved to live on the three blocks selected there after the death of Theodosia. Another son, Arthur Robert Gifford, was born at Narrandera on March 3, 1886, when William and Elizabeth were living at Methul. He died at Methul on July 26, 1888, aged 2 years and 4 months and was buried in the Union Cemetery, North Berry Jerry. Cause of death was “con- vulsions and water on the brain, duration since birth”. This latest stint on the land did not last long. Charlotte Drover married Alfred Bodinnar in 1887 and went to Whitton to live and William and Elizabeth, with son Prosper and father William, later settled in Coolamon and returned to blacksmithing. While at Coolamon, two sons were born Donald Percival Llewellyn (at Narrandera) on April 30 1890 and Alfred (at Coolamon) on November 18, 1893. William Drover was a blacksmith at Coolamon by then. On March 10, 1891, William Drover senior married Caroline Arnold, a widow, at Cool- amon and this appears to have been another turning point for the family. Later in the 1890’s, William and Caroline Drover, with William and Elizabeth and family went to Canowindra to live for a few years. By the turn of last century, all, except for Caroline, returned to the Riverina and settled on Commonwealth Farm at Gillenbah, a few kilometres south of Narran- dera over the Murrumbidgee River. With Charlotte and Alfred Bodinnar then living at Narrandera, the family was together again. William’s bachelor uncle, John Drover, also lived on the farm at Gillenbah before going to a church home at Temora. Sons Donald and Alfred attended the Narrandera Public School from Gillenbah, often taking a short cut across the railway bridge over the river. William Drover must have got into financial difficulties on the small farm in the early days and was declared a bankrupt. He was discharged in 1906. Elizabeth’s health det- eriorated after their return and she was later taken to Sydney for medical treatment. She died at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, on May 8, 1913. The cause of death was shown as pyelitis and cystitis and general peritonitis. She was aged 53. Her body was taken back to Narrandera by the night train the same day and she was buried in the Old Church of England section of the Narrandera Cemetery the next afternoon. The funeral left from the home of Alfred and Charlotte Bodinnar and the Rev John Rawling, of St Thomas’ Church officiated. William and Elizabeth Drover had their longest stay in one place at Gillenbah. Sons Donald and Alfred had attended school and found employment in Narrandera and Prosper was living at Coolamon. After Elizabeth’s death, the farm was sold and in 1915 William secured Farm 46 in the emerging Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area at Fivebough Leeton. He is listed on the Pioneer Register of the MIA. On May 12, 1915, he married Robina Russell at Narrandera. Robina was born in New Zealand and came to Australia as a child and was called “Heney”. The farm was surrendered in 1929 and William and Robina returned to Narr- andera and spent their last years living in Grosvenor Street. Robina Drover died on September 20, 1931, and was interred in the Narrandera Cemetery. She was also survived by a sister Mrs W Barber of Crows Nest, Sydney. William Drover died at Narrandera aged 76 on July 20, 1932, and was buried next to Robina in the Presbyterian section of the Narrandera Cemetery. With the death of William Drover, it was probably the end of a centuries-old unbro- ken line of Drover black- smiths, continuing on from blacksmiths in Midlothian, Scotland. Surviving records show the line can be traced back to the 1600s in Lasswade Parish and may have gone back well before then. Prosper Drover was working at Coolamon for orchardist Fred Aylett when his parents settled on Commonwealth Farm at Gillenbah. In 1903 he married May King Pyke, a younger sister of Fred Aylett’s wife, and they settled on Aylett’s orchard, Coolamon Grove, which Prosper leased. While there he was estab- lishing his own orchard, Austral Eden, situated a few kilometres north of the town and moved there to live in 1916. May’s father, William Tucker Pyke, owned the flour mill at Coolamon and previously had a flour mill at Wodonga where May was born in 1879. Her mother Matilda was a granddaughter of a convict Thomas King, so the des- cendants of Prosper and May have a convict connection from both sides. Prosper and May had three sons, Audrey (Aud), Prosper (Finn) and Alwyn (Gol), and one daughter Naomi (Girlie). Prosper died at Coolamon on March 12, 1918, aged 37, and was buried there. May stayed on running the farm for several years before taking the family to Sydney. She died there aged 85 on March 19, 1965. After finishing school, Alfred Drover worked for Uncle Bodinnar as a wheelwright. He later worked at Sugden Bros’ woolscour and while there enlisted in the AIF in World War I in 1915. He was sent overseas and served in France in 1916 with the 18th Battalion. Alfred was wounded when a German shell exploded close by and he was buried alive with another soldier. He was dug out and then sent to an English hospital to recover. After recuperating in England, Pte Drover was repatriated to Australia, arriving in November, 1916. He was discharged from the Army and worked in Sydney at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. In 1919 he married Merle Florence Gould at Burwood, Sydney, and they lived in Lloyd George Avenue, Concord, They had three children, Alfred John (called Jack who died aged 9 years), Gwenyth Merle and John, After retiring from the railway workshops, Alfred and Merle moved to Dee Why to live. Alfred died in Sydney aged 63 on March 22, 1958, and Merle died there in 1981.
Transcript of Step Back In Time - White Pages...farming on Quondong Farm and moved to the then newly developing...
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 — 7Narrandera ArgusNarrandera ArgusNarrandera ArgusNarrandera ArgusNarrandera Argus www.narranderaargus.com.au
Step Back In TimeNARRANDERA FAMILIES: DROVERFormer Narrandera Argus
newspaper proprietor the
late Donald Drover was a
descendant of the convict
William Drover and worked
in the printing trade after
completing school at
Narrandera, first briefly at
the Narandera Ensign and
then at the Narandera
Argus.
Narrandera was then speltwith a single ‘r.
Donald became proprietorof the Argus in 1931, takingover on the retirement of theowner Edward Lapthorne.
He married Marjorie JeanMcCann at Castlemaine,Victoria, on April 8, 1926 andthe couple lived in CadellStreet, Narrandera. They hadtwo sons Donald Prosper andGeoffrey William.
Donald Drover senior tookoffice in many organisationsin Narrandera and also serveda term as president of the NSWCountry Press Association.
He died at Narrandera onMay 25, 1965, aged 75 and wasstill running the newspaper atthe time. He was buried in theNarrandera Cemetery.
The following year his wifesold the newspaper to alocally formed company theNarrandera Argus Pty Ltd,which still owns thenewspaper.
Marjorie Drover died atNarrandera on June 14, 1985,aged 86. Her death brought toan end the Drover family lifeat Narrandera, which startedalmost a century before withGeorge Drover recordedIiving in the town in 1888.
Early members of theDrover dynasty William andElizabeth Manon Drover weremarried at Corowa at St John’sChurch of England on August9, 1879, by the Rev Herbert EThomson and William’s sisterCharlotte was a witness at theceremony.
The groom was the son ofWilliam and Eliza Ann Droverand was born at Wangaratta,Victoria, on April 2, 1857. Hisearly years were spent atWangaratta, except while atAlbury when apprenticed toJohn McEachern to learn theblacksmithing trade.
William was the thirdgeneration of Drover black-smiths at Wangaratta. He toldhow lookouts were neededat the North Wangaratta shopwhen doing work for theKelly gang of bushrangers towatch out for the police.
One of the gang, SteveHart, was about the same ageas William Drover and grewup at Wangaratta. Steve Hartdied in the police siege at theGlenrowan Inn on April 28,1880 with Joe Byrne and DanKelly. The gang leader, NedKelly, was wounded andcaptured and later hanged atthe Old Melbourne Gaol onNovember 11 the same year.
Elizabeth was the eldestchild of George and ChristinaSoles and was born at Indigo,near Rutherglen, on July 29,
1859, 10 months after herparents arrived in the colonyof Victoria from the UK.
The Soles family was livingat Rutherglen when WilliamDrover senior arrived withWilliam and Charlotte, andsettled on Quongdong Farm
at Corowa after leavingWangaratta following thedeath of John Drover.
On December 17, 1881, sonProsper William John GeorgeDrover was born at Corowaand he was followed bydaughter Theodosia ElizaMaudline on November 28,1882, also born at Corowa.
The Drovers gave upfarming on Quondong Farm
and moved to the then newlydeveloping Junee Junction(now Junee) and went backto blacksmithing. The railwayline was going through thedistrict at the time.
Theodosia died on May 9,1885, aged 2 years and 6months from congestion ofthe lungs and was one of theearly ones buried in the JuneeCemetery.
The stay at Junee Junctionwas a brief one and land hadbecome available for selectionat Methul, north of Coolamon.The family moved to live onthe three blocks selectedthere after the death ofTheodosia.
Another son, ArthurRobert Gifford, was born atNarrandera on March 3, 1886,when William and Elizabethwere living at Methul. He diedat Methul on July 26, 1888,aged 2 years and 4 monthsand was buried in the UnionCemetery, North Berry Jerry.
Cause of death was “con-vulsions and water on thebrain, duration since birth”.
This latest stint on the landdid not last long. CharlotteDrover married AlfredBodinnar in 1887 and went toWhitton to live and Williamand Elizabeth, with sonProsper and father William,later settled in Coolamon andreturned to blacksmithing.
While at Coolamon, twosons were born DonaldPercival Llewellyn (atNarrandera) on April 30 1890and Alfred (at Coolamon) onNovember 18, 1893. WilliamDrover was a blacksmith atCoolamon by then. On March10, 1891, William Droversenior married CarolineArnold, a widow, at Cool-amon and this appears to havebeen another turning pointfor the family.
Later in the 1890’s, Williamand Caroline Drover, withWilliam and Elizabeth andfamily went to Canowindra tolive for a few years.
By the turn of last century,all, except for Caroline,returned to the Riverina andsettled on Commonwealth
Farm at Gillenbah, a fewkilometres south of Narran-dera over the MurrumbidgeeRiver.
With Charlotte and AlfredBodinnar then living at
Narrandera, the family wastogether again. William’sbachelor uncle, John Drover,also lived on the farm atGillenbah before going to achurch home at Temora.
Sons Donald and Alfredattended the NarranderaPublic School from Gillenbah,often taking a short cut acrossthe railway bridge over theriver.
William Drover must havegot into financial difficultieson the small farm in the earlydays and was declared abankrupt. He was dischargedin 1906.
Elizabeth’s health det-eriorated after their returnand she was later taken toSydney for medical treatment.She died at the Royal PrinceAlfred Hospital, Sydney, onMay 8, 1913. The cause ofdeath was shown as pyelitisand cystitis and generalperitonitis. She was aged 53.
Her body was taken backto Narrandera by the nighttrain the same day and shewas buried in the Old Churchof England section of theNarrandera Cemetery thenext afternoon. The funeralleft from the home of Alfredand Charlotte Bodinnar andthe Rev John Rawling, of StThomas’ Church officiated.
William and ElizabethDrover had their longest stayin one place at Gillenbah. SonsDonald and Alfred hadattended school and foundemployment in Narranderaand Prosper was living atCoolamon.
After Elizabeth’s death, thefarm was sold and in 1915William secured Farm 46 inthe emerging MurrumbidgeeIrrigation Area at FiveboughLeeton. He is listed on thePioneer Register of the MIA.
On May 12, 1915, hemarried Robina Russell atNarrandera. Robina was bornin New Zealand and came toAustralia as a child and wascalled “Heney”.
The farm was surrenderedin 1929 and William andRobina returned to Narr-andera and spent their lastyears living in GrosvenorStreet.
Robina Drover died onSeptember 20, 1931, and wasinterred in the NarranderaCemetery. She was alsosurvived by a sister Mrs WBarber of Crows Nest,Sydney.
William Drover died atNarrandera aged 76 on July20, 1932, and was buried nextto Robina in the Presbyteriansection of the NarranderaCemetery.
With the death of WilliamDrover, it was probably theend of a centuries-old unbro-ken line of Drover black-smiths, continuing on fromblacksmiths in Midlothian,Scotland. Surviving recordsshow the line can be tracedback to the 1600s in LasswadeParish and may have goneback well before then.
Prosper Drover wasworking at Coolamon fororchardist Fred Aylett whenhis parents settled onCommonwealth Farm atGillenbah.
In 1903 he married MayKing Pyke, a younger sister ofFred Aylett’s wife, and theysettled on Aylett’s orchard,Coolamon Grove, whichProsper leased.
While there he was estab-lishing his own orchard,Austral Eden, situated a fewkilometres north of the townand moved there to live in1916.
May’s father, WilliamTucker Pyke, owned the flourmill at Coolamon andpreviously had a flour mill atWodonga where May wasborn in 1879.
Her mother Matilda was agranddaughter of a convictThomas King, so the des-
cendants of Prosper and Mayhave a convict connectionfrom both sides.
Prosper and May had threesons, Audrey (Aud), Prosper(Finn) and Alwyn (Gol), andone daughter Naomi (Girlie).
Prosper died at Coolamonon March 12, 1918, aged 37,and was buried there. Maystayed on running the farmfor several years before takingthe family to Sydney.
She died there aged 85 onMarch 19, 1965.
After finishing school,Alfred Drover worked forUncle Bodinnar as awheelwright. He later workedat Sugden Bros’ woolscourand while there enlisted in theAIF in World War I in 1915.
He was sent overseas andserved in France in 1916 withthe 18th Battalion.
Alfred was wounded whena German shell exploded close
by and he was buried alivewith another soldier.
He was dug out and thensent to an English hospital torecover.
After recuperating inEngland, Pte Drover wasrepatriated to Australia,arriving in November, 1916.He was discharged from theArmy and worked in Sydneyat the Eveleigh RailwayWorkshops.
In 1919 he married MerleFlorence Gould at Burwood,Sydney, and they lived inLloyd George Avenue,Concord, They had threechildren, Alfred John (calledJack who died aged 9 years),Gwenyth Merle and John,
After retiring from therailway workshops, Alfredand Merle moved to Dee Whyto live. Alfred died in Sydneyaged 63 on March 22, 1958,and Merle died there in 1981.
