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 ! ***