Hello Elaine, Just to let you know the message below was sent to me by mistake. Greetings from Judith Robbins--- A member of the Geelong Family History Group. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elaine Kranjc" <ekran@iprimus.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, 12 September 2003 22:21 Subject: Re: [GEELONG] Brooks Family- Geelong to Nullarbor Thank you John I will put a copy in our files of the Family History Group. Elaine Kranjc ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Whitehand" <wht4hnd@vicnet.net.au> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 10:29 PM Subject: [GEELONG] Brooks Family- Geelong to Nullarbor > Hello Folk, > while doing some "virtual surfing" on the area of Israelite Bay SW > Nullarbor I discovered the name BROOKS as witness to a marriage at > Israelite Bay 1898 > a little Wildcard browsing revealed the following story which may be > of interest to some Geelong researchers... > " From Norseman along the Eyre H’way to Balladonia, a few hundred metres > pass the Roadhouse, there is a well defined dirt track heading south, > this will take you to Mt Ragged, or Esperance. In dry weather, 2WD’s can > navigate this track, but not advisable in wet conditions, although > usually not a problem with 4WD’s. > > About 75 km down this well defined track from Balladonia, there is a > fork in the road (signposted), the right one goes to Esperance, the left > to Mt Ragged. You can go straight to Mt Ragged if you wish, or take a > small 13 km detour down the Esperance road to an early Settler’s > Cottage, which has been restored (usually nobody there, but you can go > in and look around). The home was built by the Dimer family, the > patriarch being a young German seaman who jumped ship around the > 1870/80’s and made his way to this isolated place. > > [Henry DIMER (aka DEIMER) married an aboriginal domestic Topsy > Whitehand in 1898 ] witnesses to this event were the Brooks family. > > From the cottage there is a dirt track to the east, which will take you > back (6 km) to the Mt Ragged track. The Dimer cottage track continues > across the Mt Ragged road, to take you (11 km) to another restored early > settler’s cottage. This was the Brooks place and their arrival is an > interesting story. > > Continued next post… > > > From: jackwest ® 19/07/2003 9:18:01 PM > Subject: re: Nullabor post id: 65049 > > Trip 3 continued… > > The Brooks family of Mr and Mrs Brooks, plus their children John Paul > and Sarah originated from England arriving in Melbourne January 1851, > they lived in Geelong where later that year, Mr Brooks died of typhoid. > The widowed Mrs Brooks opened a school, which both her children > attended, and later continued their education at Geelong Grammar, making > them for the time, refined and well educated (Sarah an accomplished > painter, also played piano and sang, plus could speak seven languages > including Greek and Latin). The family moved to Albany in 1873 where > they were granted (reputedly) good land in Esperance Bay (400 to 500 km > ENE of Albany). The two women and the young John Paul set out on foot > into the WA wilderness with a horse-drawn cart holding their belongings, > even in those pioneering times, it was regarded as a highly hazardous > journey, let alone being attempted by such a vulnerable party (and not > surprisingly), many thought they would perish. > > Anyway they did make it, and continued on for another 100 km or so, but > the new land venture was a failure due to the poor quality of the > country. In 1877, the family of three moved to Israelite Bay (a little > further to the East) where John became the first linesman for the new > Telegraph Station there. In 1883 they moved to a new lease and built the > now restored cottage. Mrs Brooks died in 1911 and was buried in their > orchard (part of the irrigated watering system, a fig and a couple of > mulberry trees still remain). Sarah died in 1928, aged 78 and is buried > in Norseman; John died two years later aged 83 and is buried with his > mother in the orchard. Despite (or maybe because) of their education and > refinement, neither married, they are nevertheless recorded in history > (particularly Sarah) with her flora collections (including several new > species) which are housed in the Melbourne Herbarium. Sarah was one of > the renowned Baron Ferdinand von Mueller’s (the famous botanist) West > Australian Lady Plant Collectors, but that is another story. > > The Brooks place is not occupied and visitors are welcome to look > around. You must return to the Mt Ragged track and proceed south where > (15 km) there is a pretty rockhole called Juranda Rockhole. A number of > kilometres further south is another rockhole (fresh water), where there > are a couple of graves, story has it that a couple of camel drivers were > found bathing there and as it was drinking water, they were shot for > their indiscretion. Not sure of the validity of this, but it sounds good. " > > http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/newposts/64/topic64950.shtm > -- > John Whitehand > Melbourne; AUSTRALIA > +61(0)3 93145307 > http://www.vicnet.net.au/~whitehaj/welcome.htm > > Ambition is ultimately destructive--There's only room for ONE "at the top." > *** Co-operation Achieves ~ Competition destroys ! *** > > > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > Geelong and District web site : > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/ > > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== Geelong & District and Bellarine Indexes : http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdbksrc1.asp http://www.zades.com.au/bellhs/bpnmsrc1.asp