Thank you Jackie. I can now follow up another lead from this article. Thank you very much Denise ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Callinan" <jackiecall@netspace.net.au> To: <AUS-VIC-NE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 9:28 PM Subject: RE: [AVNE] Gemmell > Denise, the following extract (from an article on the Pinsent Hotel) doesn't > answer your question, but the article may give a couple of leads - perhaps > the marriage and/or birth were in South Australia? > > "The Pinsent began as a private hospital - a vote of confidence in the > future of the little settlement at the Ovens Crossing Place by the new > doctor, John Gemmell. > Gemmell had trained in Edinburgh and had emigrated to Australia before the > goldrush. After registering as a doctor in South Australia, he moved to > Wangaratta, to be one of its earliest medical practitioners. > In May 1850, at the sale of township allotments held in Melbourne, Gemmell > picked up most of the northern end of Reid Street for about sixty pounds, > and on the crest of the hill, he erected his hospital, the first for many > miles around. > Wangaratta at this time was a community catering to the needs of local > pastoralists, and the stock-owners and travellers moving up and down the > route pioneered in 1836 by Maj.Mitchell. There were several hotels and > stores, mostly built of canvas, slabs and bark, but by the time Dr. Gemmell > arrived, brick buildings were being erected. > Dr. Gemmell stayed only briefly in the private hospital business. Great > events were happening. > Victoria had chosen to go it alone as a separate colony, and gold > discoveries were being made with breathtaking rapidity. It was time for > John to try the alternative occupation so many colonial doctors found highly > desirable - that of a pastoralist. > In 1853, Gemmell purchased from David Reid the pastoral holding of Woorajay > (sic), not far from Beechworth, as well as Reid's other station at Coreen > across the border in NSW. A squatter he remained for more than a decade, > increasingly besieged by an army of diggers pressing at his front gate, and > like most of the squatters of the day, being liked less and less by the > miners. He put his popularity to the test in 1857, by offering himself as a > candidate for parliament, but lost by a handful of votes miners votes. He > turned his attention to pastoral matters, but after being injured in an > accident while returning from Coreen, he sold his northern station, and > after a period of ill health, died at Wooragee in 1866." > > Jackie/Melbourne > > -----Original Message----- > From: Denise McMahon [mailto:helendmc@powerup.com.au] > Sent: Wednesday, 6 February 2002 6:37 PM > To: AUS-VIC-NE-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [AVNE] Gemmell > > > I have read where Dr. John Gemmell - Wangaratta's who opened first hospital > and who also bought David Reid's station at Wooragee had a son John Jnr. > The son was educated at Scotch College, and I assume this one is in > Australia > I have been unable to establish Dr' John (the father) marriage or the birth > of children. > > Is anyone able to look it up for me on the Pioneer Index. Dr. John died in > 1865. > > Sorry I don't have much more information. > Dr was born in Scotland. > > Thanks Denise >