Is this my Uncle Des Culhane in Wangaratta, you got the info from, his daughter Nerida has been doing some genealogy. Firstly yes the original was Michael Culhanes then became their daughters Mrs Costello (there was two house.) Next bit I have never heard of also the Good Hope Battery was up near Grant (no where near Myrtleford) The last of the children left 30 odd years after Michael had died. Next bit is correct Thomas stayed on with his mother and Maurice at the house, as Tom never married until he was 40. Maurice Joseph born May 04, 1886 not 1890, Maurice took over because Tom was working with Paddy Duane over the Myrtleford side bringing cattle up to the plains. Kerry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dianne Carroll" <highcountryheritage@dodo.com.au> To: <AUS-VIC-HIGH-COUNTRY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 12:06 AM Subject: Re: [HC] Mining Kerry, The info I got was from Des Culhane, Graham Spaul, and David Guy - all bits a pieces which I am trying to make sence out of. I have sorted most of the early stuff out from what you sent. Can you delete or correct what is wrong here. - I am confused as to who had what - I know the Hut was known as Costellos for some time, but in reality it was still Culhanes????? How many houses/huts were built here? Sorry for all the questions, but I want to get it right. In the 1890s Thomas (1871-1950), their eldest son took on the property across the river, known as "The Island" - the land situated between the Crooked River and the Wongungurra River. He had 17 packhorses and carted the quartz from the Good Hope Mine to the battery which was situated at Myrtleford. On his return trip he would bring supplies back to Crooked River. Is this right In 1905, when Michael passed away most of the children had left Crooked River, some going to Stratford / Sale area, Johanna married went to Ensay and several went to Myrtleford. After his death, his widow Mary took in borders to enable her to make ends meet. The borders were most of the crew from the Crooked River Dredge and paid £-/12/- per week. There were three shifts working on the dredge, three men working each shift. Tom and the youngest brother (this was a typo - I knew) Maurice "Maurie" Culhane (1890-1943) who was 19 when his father died continued to live in the house with their mother. Tom tendered to "The Island" and continued his 'packing service' whilst Maurie took over running the original property. In c1920 Mary moved to Stratford and it believed she lived with son Patrick until her death in 1925. (Patrick never married) Thomas married Amy Ellen and after the birth of their first four children, moved to Myrtleford in 1925. They went on to have another seven children. Maurie continued farming the property until the early 1930s, when he moved to Sale. He married Greta McCormack in 1947, but sadly died 30 days after his marriage. By 1934 only relics the homestead remained. After the Maurie Culhane left, Albert Stout, store keeper of Talbotville worked the paddocks for some years. Culhanes was taken over by Alex "Sandy" Traill c1942, and owned Howittville. In c1960 this hut was erected by the Forestry Commission to enable the workers, building the road, to have a base camp. In c1965 Graham Spaul had purchased the property, which followed a dispute with Sandy Traill as to who owned it. Graham won and later bought out Sandy Traill's Howittville property. Dates here need confirmation - maybe Lands Office? - Sources gave estimates In 1999 Graham sold both properties and the lease to a syndicate of ten including Andrew Keys and Johanna Allen. The Culhane family contributed immensely to the Crooked River region, yet the family has been forgotten with time. Michael was laid to rest at the Talbotville Cemetery and his headstone is the only link to say the Culhane's were even in the area. That was until the hut that stands today was built in c1960. Fortunately oral history has lived long enough to retain the name of the property owned by Culhane's, and because this hut was erected on the same sight as the original home, it has adopted the name of Culhane's Hut, and rightly so.