Hi Eve
Thank you for replying. I saw some of your earlier posts from 2003 - and was hoping I'd be able to contact you. I'm fascinated by the history of this property (which we purchased in 2010) and am currently sitting in one of the rooms in the old house that your greatgrandfather built that I've set up as my office! I've managed to find out quite a lot about the family (the internet is fabulous for that and I've scoured the digitised newspapers for any references and have been amazed at what was reported back in the 1800s).
One question you may be able to answer - there's an article in the Victorian Government Gazette in Feb 1862 stating that Robert Hill Kinnear was initially in partnership with a James Kinnear - both "squatters at Lower Moira Station". I was wondering if this James Kinnear was possibly RH's half-brother? I can only find reference to one Patrick Kinnear born in Longforgan during the relevant timeframe, ie 1782, to be Robert’s father. There are, however, two marriages recorded in Longforgan for Patrick Kinnear: one to Elizabeth Hill in 1811 and one to Margaret Matthew in 1831. Patrick and Elizabeth had five children between 1811 and 1824, including Robert Hill in 1820; Patrick and Margaret had three children between 1833 and 1836, one of whom was James in 1834 and who died in 1875 in Ballarat. Do you know if I'm on the right track here? The trouble I've found with looking into family histories is that sometimes I have had to make assumptions (and then find that I'm way off-base!).
This reference to the dissolution of partnership between RH and James Kinnear is the first mention of RH on this property. I haven't as yet been able to ascertain exactly when he took over the licence to the pastoral run, Lower Moira, although he was definitely listed as Licensee in 1862, or when he purchased the intitial homestead block at Madowla. I have maps from the 1860s showing the extent of his ownership, and I know he sold in 1876 (again, not exact information, but from knowledge as to when the next owners bought the property). I am in the process of writing a history of the property - earlier histories have been pretty sketchy and written before access to online newspapers etc and consequently not thorough and, at times, not entirely accurate. It started as just being about the property, but I've got enthralled by the various owners as well. Interesting times, and obviously farming in those days was lot more lucrative than it is today! Some of the houses that were built by the owners after they left the property are quite staggering!
Do you happen to have any photos of RH? I'm in the process of getting a professional photo of the portrait that hangs in the Bendigo art gallery (of Robert Hill, Rosalie and child Rosalie - probably painted before 1851 in Scotland before the birth of Robert Shiell and before they returned to Victoria). I've also tracked down a photo of the townhouse they also owned in Echuca when the lived here at the farm (unfortunately it was demolished in 1950s).
If you would like to contact me further about any of the info I've managed to collect, you can email me direct on
kate_od@hotmail.comNeedless to say, if you (or any of your family) are ever in the area, I'd be really happy to show you around some more.
Regards
Kate O'Donnell