Charles and Ellen Rossiter

Rossiter Road is named after Charles Rossiter. Charles and Ellen Rossiter took up 317 acres of land at Yallock in 1873 and called the property Hawkesdale. It was located at Lot 10b, Parish of Yallock and situated between Koo Wee Rup and Bayles, near Bethune's Road.  Before this Charles and Ellen lived at Ravenhurst (later called Tulliallan) on Clyde Road, south of Grices Road in Cranbourne North. You can read about the history of the Ravenhurst / Tulliallan property, here.

Charles and Ellen Rossiter, early 1890s.

State Library of Victoria Image H82.96/39

Ravenhurst was part of the Garem Gam Run of 3,200 acres (1300 hectares) taken up by James Bathe and T.J Perry in 1837. In 1845, Garem Gam was subdivided and the eastern part was called Ravenhurst.  Ravenhurst was taken up by Benjamin Rossiter (Charles’ father) and Maurice Feehan in 1850. In 1851 it appears that the property (Garem Gam) was leased as a whole by Benjamin Rossiter, Maurice Feehan and Sarah O’Shea. Sarah had been leasing the other section of the Garem Gam property with John Crewe.  By 1854, Benjamin Rossiter had the entire property.

Benjamin Rossiter (1786 - 1858) and his wife Zillah Baynton (1789 - 1871) had arrived in the Western Port area in 1842, having come out from Somersetshire in 1841. Benjamin Rossiter died in 1858 and his sons Charles and Thomas, took over the property. As well as the two boys Benjamin and Zillah had two daughters - Ann who died as a teenager and Mercy who married Henry Wedge. Henry Wedge and his bothers Charles and John had the Bangam and Ballymarang Stations. Bangam was located between the Dandenong and Eumemmerring Creeks (so modern day Doveton) and Ballamarang, which is around modern day Carrum Downs and across to Seaford and Port Phillip Bay. Wedge Road in Carrum Downs is named for the family. Mercy Wedge died in 1903 aged 80. Thomas James Rossiter, who died in Parkes in New South Wales, married Mary Ann O’Shea in 1854, the same year his brother, Charles, married Ellen O’Shea.  Mary Ann and Ellen were sisters, the daughters of  John O’Shea (died 1852 aged 51) and his first wife, Mary Josephine Ryan*. O’Shea’s Road is named for the family.  

Claude, Nellie and Norton Rossiter at Hawkesdale, early 1880s

State Library of Victoria Image H82.96/17

Charles and Ellen O’Shea had eight children -  Edwin Augustus (1856 - 1939, married Ellen Louisa Craig in 1890), Emily Baynton (1857 - 1883), Helena Ellen Teresa (1859 - 1902), Charles Benjamin (1865 - 1942, married his first cousin Zillah Rossiter in 1899), Hubert (1869 - 1870), Ellen Teresa (known as Nellie, 1871- 1926 married William Brierley in 1906), Norton Baynton (c. 1875 - 1947, married Hilda Hodgson in 1906) and Claude Cecil (c. 1878 - 1947, married Stella Mary Paragreen in 1907). Charles died in 1895 aged 74 and Ellen died in 1909 aged 73. They are both buried at the Cranbourne Cemetery

What do we know about their life in Koo Wee Rup? Niel Gunson in his book Good Country: Cranbourne Shire says that Rossiter’s property Hawkesdale was regarded as a show place in the district and the homestead was set off by a profusion of flowers – geraniums, dahlias, rhododendrons, roses, broom and cactus. Besides bloodstock and a shorthorn dairy herd, Rossiter applied intense cultivation – in a paddock on the east side of the homestead seventeen successive crops have been grown and for the last fourteen years without manure - the present crop will yield 2 ½ tons of hay to the acre. You can see some of the garden in the photograph, below.

The Rossiters at Hawkesdale, early 1890s.  Photographer: Sydney Herbert Edwards. 

The photo shows Charles on the left,  seated are Ellen and one of the daughters, possibly Nellie. Son Charles is at the back and Norton is lying on the ground.

State Library of Victoria Image H82.96/88

Charles was an original Committee member of the Mornington Farmers Society from 1856, a Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1869 to 1884 and Shire President on four occasions. Charles and his brother, Thomas, bred horses, amongst their other agricultural pursuits. As he had many children, Charles was interested in having a school established in the area and was one of the local land owners to sign a petition for its establishment. Subsequently, Yallock State School No. 2629 (later called Koo Wee Rup State School) was opened on November 1, 1884 at Bethune's Road.

Hawkesdale, Koo Wee Rup, 1890s. 

I presume this is the building described as 'the dairy, meat room and buggy rooms' in the sale advertisement, below.

Photo shows Norton, Claude, Nellie, Charles and their cousin, Zillah. Charles and Zillah married in 1899.

State Library of Victoria Image H82.96/45

The Hawkesdale property was put up for auction in November 1898, by Charles’ executors. It was described at the time as being only two miles from the Koo Wee Rup Railway Station. There was a good four roomed brick house, kitchen and kitchen bedroom, 2 pantries, a large building comprising a dairy, meat room and 2 buggy rooms; 10 stalled cow shed, refrigeration room, good orchard. There was a State School and creamery adjoining the property and it was one of the finest farms in the district.

The sale of Hawkesdale. 

The Australasian November 12, 1898

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138667979

After the farm was sold, Ellen went to live with her son, Norton, in Hedley (near Welshpool)

We are lucky that a member of the Rossiter family donated some family photos to the State Library, so we can get  a snap shot of their life at Hawkesdale and other properties. The photos were given by Mrs Leila Trickey (1908 - 1985) the daughter of Claude Rossiter.

* I had some trouble confirming the relationship between Mary and Ellen O'Shea and John O'Shea, but  a comment left on this post by G. Sibbald explains it - I am a descendant of Charles and Ellen Rossiter. Mary Ann Josephine O'Shea and and Ellen Teressa O'Shea are indeed sisters. Sarah O'Shea was not their mother. Their mother's name was Mary Josephine Ryan. I believe that Sarah O'Shea nee Fitzgerald was John O'Shea's second wife. Mary Ann and Ellen's brothers John and George died in Victoria in 1848 and 1852 respectively. John and Sarah had sons David and Edward, half brothers of the above, who were born in Victoria. Thank you!

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Tulliallan property at Cranbourne

This is a history of the Tulliallan property, which is situated in Clyde Road in Cranbourne, although most of the newspaper articles I have found on the property say it is at Berwick and now the area is technically called Cranbourne North. It is  a property that has had many prominent or socially connected owners and a few name changes. The Tulliallan property is Lots 28, 29 and 45 in the Parish of Cranbourne - south of Grices Road (or Pound Road as that section of road was previously known)  and  a portion is either side of Clyde Road. Grices Road was the border of the Shire of Cranbourne and Shire of Berwick.

Here's a bit of a mud map of Tulliallan - the property was Lots 28, 29 and 45 in the Parish of Cranbourne. Click on the map to enlarge it.

Tulliallan was part of the Garem Gam Run of 3,200 acres (1300 hectares) taken up by James Bathe and T.J Perry in 1837, although some sources say it was 1840 before they actually settled on the run. The Garem Gam run bordered Mayune taken up in 1840 by the Ruffy Brothers.  In 1845, Garem Gam was subdivided and the eastern part was called Ravenhurst.  Ravenhurst was leased by John Crewe, who in 1850 also took over Mayune from Fred Ruffy. Crewe died in 1850 and in the October Ravenhurst was transferred to Benjamin Rossiter and Maurice Feehan.  In 1851 it appears that the property (Garem Gam) was leased as a whole again by Benjamin Rossiter, Maurice Feehan and Sarah O’Shea. Sarah had been leasing the other section of the Garem Gam property  with John Crewe.  By 1854  Benjamin Rossiter owned Lot 28 (316 acres) and his sons Charles and Thomas own Lot 45 (80 acres) amongst other land. Joseph Henderson owed Lot 29, 316 acres.

This is from The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson (Cranbourne Shire, 1968) and you can see the location of Benjamin Rossiter's Station

Benjamin Rossiter (1786 - 1858) and his wife Zillah Baynton (1789 - 1871)  had arrived in the Western Port area in 1842, having come out from Somersetshire in 1841. Benjamin Rossiter called his property Ravenhurst and this is where he died in 1858. His sons, Charles and Thomas, also used the Ravenhurst name for their property and they became the owners of  Lot 28 after their father died. Amongst other things, the brothers were horse breeders.

The Argus January 30, 1858

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7145810

Gunson  says that Charles (1820 to 1895)  lived at Ravenhurst  until 1873 when he moved to Hawksdale at Yallock. However, the Rate Books have Thomas Rossiter owning Lots 28 and 45 until 1875, when the land was sold to William Palmer, so he obviously stayed a bit longer.    Charles married Ellen O’Shea in 1854 - she is from the family that gave the name to O’Sheas Road.  They had eight children.   Charles was an original Committee member of the Mornington Farmers Society from 1856, a  Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1869 to 1884 and Shire President on four occasions. 

The Rossiter family married into other local families - Charles and Thomas’ sister, Mercy Rossiter (1823 - 1903)  married Henry Wedge (of the family that gave Wedge Road its name) Thomas Rossiter (1831-1907)  died in Parkes in New South Wales where he was living at the time. Thomas was also involved in the Mornington Famers Society in the early years. The Society held its first show at Cranbourne in 1857and from 1860 alternated between Cranbourne and Berwick however by the late 1880s the show was held only at Berwick.

The Rossiters sold out to William Palmer in 1875 (according to the Shire of Cranbourne Rate Books) and around 1881/1882 Lots 28 and 45 were purchased by the grandly named Stratford Strettle. By 1885 he also owns Lot 29 so this brings the two parcels of land that eventually make up Tulliallan together. Strettle called the property Gladys Park.  Stratford Abraham Strettle (c. 1845 - 1919) was an Auctioneer and it was his firm that handled the sale of Palmers land in 1882, so it looks like he purchased it for himself.

The Age July 26, 1882

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198571466

There was a clearing sale at the property in December 1886 due to Stratford Strettle leaving the property and after this the property is leased to various tenants.   This may have been prompted by the death of Stratford’s brother, William, who accidentally shot himself dead at the house in July 1885. You can read a graphic account of the event from The Argus, here, and an account of the inquest in the Weekly Times here.  Mr Strettle was apparently a generous host and you can read one account of his Christmas Festivities here.   There are reports of a legal case involving money owed by Strettle to a Miss Virginia Block. You can read about it here.  Abraham Strettle, the father of Stratford and William, had a property Sweet Hills at Lysterfield from 1865 and you can read about Sweet Hills and Lysterfield, here.

In 1904, Mrs James Gibb purchases Gladys Park from Stratford Strettle  and by 1910 the Rate books list James Gibb as the owner. The Hon James Gibb (1843 - 1919) and his brother Robert were the sons of Alexander Gibb of Campbellfield. James was the M.L.A for Mornington from 1880 to 1886 and also owned Melville Park (now Edrington in Berwick, the former home of Lord and Lady Casey) Gibb was also a draught horse breeder and described as one of the most enterprising farmers in the State - a champion ploughman, gentleman an politician.   He was a Shire of Berwick Councillor for 30 years and the Federal Member for Flinders from 1903 to 1906.  His obituary in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of March 6, 1919 said that he could claim the credit for tree planting which made Berwick one of the most charming townships in southern Victoria. 

Robert Gibb farmed for his brother, and was also involved with the Mornington Farmers Society and a local Magistrate.  He and his wife moved to Oakleigh in 1914 and he died in 1923.

The next owner of the property was Jessie Halbert. I don't know anything about this person, they held the property for under two years and a  Joseph Halbert had part of the St Germains Estate at Clyde at the same time. Are they Joseph and Jessie Halbert, the parents of Jessie Mary Vasey who was the founder of the War Widows Guild of Australia and was instrumental in getting an increase in the War Widows pension by linking it to the rate of the basic wage?  It's an interesting connection, if this was the case,  and you can read more about Jessie Vasey in the Australian Dictionary of Biography here.

In 1913, Jessie Halbert sells to Lieutenant George Anderson Mitchell and it  was Mitchell who named the property Tulliallan. The Rate Books list George Mitchell owning  the property form 1913 to 1919. I am fairly certain that George is the son of Captain James Mitchell and Elizabeth (nee Anderson) of Tulliallan, Williamstown and thus when he purchased his farm in 1913 he named it Tulliallan after his family home. Captain James Mitchell was a Master Mariner, joined the Port Phillip Sea Pilots, one of the founders of the Victorian Stevedoring Co. Association and one obituary says that he was on the Committee which chose the design for the Commonwealth flag. He died in 1927 and there are advertisements in the paper for the sale of his house Tulliallan at Williamstown.  As a matter of interest one of the pall bearers at his funeral was Jules Commans who owned 540 hectares on both the north and south side of Heatherton Road in what is now called Endeavour Hills.

There are various mentions in papers on Trove which connect Lieutenant George  Mitchell to Captain James Mitchell. The family appear to have been well connected and there are references in the social pages of various Melbourne papers to the engagement and weddings of the children of James and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Lieutenant Mitchell enlisted at the age of 24 on July 15, 1915. He was a 2nd Lieutenant and his next of kin was his wife, Mary Ione Mitchell. He was discharged in October 1916 as he had a ‘Commission in the Imperial Army’ and he later joined the Royal Air Force.  He obviously sold the property on his return after the war, and is listed in the Electoral Roll  as a broker and living in Melbourne. In the 1950s George and Mary were living at Ardleigh in Emerald. George died in 1965.

Advertisement for the sale of Tulliallan from The Age February 15 1919

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155220952

Lieutenant Mitchell sold 'his most charming country home together with 743 acres of land' to Frederick Charles Curtis in 1919. The house was described as a very nice homestead, in splendid order, of 12 rooms with large billiard room, large dining room, large reception room and four large bedrooms. Hot and cold water laid on with a splendid service and the homestead is sewered. The outbuildings consist of detached kitchen, 2 pantries, 2 maids rooms, servants quarters, mens rooms........there is  a nice drive of English trees from the main road to the homestead and it is laid out with  a very nice lawn and summer house and has one of the best  gardens to be found in any country home of its size  near Melbourne. The building is listed on the City of Casey Heritage Study and you can access the citation here.

Frederick Curtis was Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1925 to 1928.  I don’t know much about him, his wife, whom he married in 1905, was Florence Maud Crabtree and his occupation in the Electoral Rolls  was listed as grazier. Some of the activities of the family were reported in the social columns of the Melbourne papers including, in 1927,  a ‘coming of age  for their only daughter Gwennyth and a 21st celebration of their eldest son Keith’ - the headline was ‘a jolly evening at Berwick.’ Amongst the guests were local names such Greaves, Brunt, Whiteside, Loveridge.  In 1932 it was reported in the Dandenong Journal that Mr Curtis had purchased Oakdene in Langhorne Street, Dandneong. According to the Electoral Roll, Keith stayed at Tulliallan until the property was sold in 1938.

Table Talk March 31 1927

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146470818

In 1938, Faris Addison Palfreyman purchased Tulllian; he was a English Leicester and Romney Marsh sheep breeder. When the property was sold by Palfreyman in November 1946, the purchase price included the entire stock of stud sheep and Aberdeen Angus cattle valued at £8000. Palfreyman then moved to Queensland.  In May 1926, Faris Palfreyman was the best man at the wedding of Beatrice Fischer to Arthur Long - Beatrice was the granddaughter of Jules Commans, who as we found out before, was a colleague and pall bearer at the funeral of Captain James Mitchell, whose son George was a previous owner of Tulliallan. You can read all about this fashionable wedding at St Johns Church in Toorak in the Table Talk newspaper here. Is this a coincidence that Faris later became an owner of the Tulliallan property or was he already familiar with Tulliallan when he purchased the property as it appears he moved in the same social circles as the Mitchells?  Faris deid in 1983 at the age of 80.

In 1946,  James McKenzie  Elder purchased Tulliallan. I don’t have much information on him, however he married Nancy Russell Barrett in 1929 and he was the son of prominent business man, Sir James Alexander Elder and Margaret Blyth Nicoll - you can read about Sir James in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here. The family also had their social activities reported in the social columns of the Melbourne papers - in March 1953 there was a report of a dance at Tulliallan where ‘guests sat on hay bales at open fires and danced in the sylvan setting at an outdoor party’  Susan Curtis, James’ daughter, hosted the party. Amongst the guests were some visitors from the Western District and some members of the socially prominent Chirnside family. Susan’s marriage to Geoffrey Haggard, son of the late Commander Geoffrey Haggard, R.N was the subject of a report and  a photograph in The Argus in November 1953. In December 1954 a dinner dance was held at Tulliallan for 150 people in honour of Ian Elder, Susan’s brother.

The Argus March 2 1953

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23230891

James and Nancy Elder were still at Tulliallan in 1972, according to the Electoral rolls and James died in 1978 aged 76 and Nancy in 1974, aged 70. We will leave  this history of Tulliallan owners with the Elders, but as you can see it has had many interesting at at times socially prominent and well connected owners.

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