| Website Home & Details | Early History | Australian Experiences | Merrett Family Tree |
A brief history of the Leeor & Serviceton districts.(1846-1910)[Part 2]Click on pictures for much better view and more clarity.(Close the window to return)The following extract from the Weekly Times is a testimonial to Andrew Seater: "Although he is nearly 92 years of age, Mr Andrew Seater of Serviceton still enjoys excellent health, and can read or write without the aid of glasses. Since he landed in Melbourne from the ship Indian Queen on February 1, 1855, he has lived continuously in the country and has been a resident of Serviceton for the past 32 years. Most of the bricks used in building the Railway Station were carted by him." Mr H McCaffrey of Lillimur, who owned a hotel, erected livery-stables and a boarding house at Serviceton. His hotel was turned into a cream factory at Lillimur. Mr Denning built a blacksmith’s shop in the main street and sold to Mr Plumb. Harris Brothers of Lillimur South erected a store; the owners before it was dismantled were Messrs Rowe, Sheldon, Frazer, Smith, Wallis, Merrett, Pettit and Farrow, and last, Laurie Fryar. Boarding houses were conducted by Mrs Ingram and her two daughters and Mrs O’Brien who sold it to Mr Murphy in 1910. He also held a wine licence. The earliest butcher shop was conducted by Mr Wiese – then Mr C Woodgate, Mr Easter, Mr J Rogers, Mr Geo. Lannin, B and J Prider, and Mr W Turvey. In 1887 Mr Fred Woolfit conducted a bakery on the north side of the railway line; later, he bought Mrs Ingram’s house in the main street and built another bake-house. When he moved from Serviceton subsequent owners were Mr Geo. Lannin and Bert Board (1910), Mr John Kent (1922) and Mr L Birrell, Mr Bill Phillips, Mr Flynn and Mr Ted Jennings.   Serviceton also had its industries: Mr Hornsby of North Serviceton had a wine distillery, and later moved in into Serviceton, east of the school. The McInnes Brothers had a ginger beer factory north-east of Serviceton, and later sold to Tom and Jack Dooley who moved it into the south-west corner of the town and only operated it for about nine months. In 1908 a blacksmith’s shop was built by Mr AG Geier. The first refreshment rooms in Serviceton were where the tennis courts now are – ‘the northern court’. They were opened while the railway station was being built, and operated by Mr Wilkinson. Later, the building became the public hall. Another old identity who operated a business in Serviceton was Mr H Knox, a saddler. In 1888 Serviceton had a cricket and a football club; the players travelled as far as Horsham to play football. The 1890’s saw the coming of the Indian Hawkers - first on foot, carrying all their articles, and later, with covered van and two horses. The district had its share of bushrangers, mainly out at Cove Station – such men as Daniel Morgan who sank a well at Cove but left before he finished it; then Sullivan and Norton made a visit in 1858.  Before the turn of the century and before combustion engines were on the market, the only power the early settler had was horse power. The horse was used on such work as drawing water from wells, driving chaffcutters; tread winnower, whips at wheat stacks, and in several other jobs. Then came the steam engine which was used to drive chaff-cutters and threshers, which travelled the district from farm to farm for whoever needed such work done. The settlers built their haystacks close together and just wide enough for the thresher to go between; then they could thresh two stacks without moving the thresher. One of the old identities who worked on Laurences Thresher which served the district was Mr Duge Durbridge, and many a story can be told of this swagman. There were a number of travelling chaff-cutters that worked the district, pulled from farm to farm by horses and driven by a steam engine.   
The early settlers had to make their own entertainment and their most popular outings were picnics at Moree and Green Swamp, south of Serviceton, where most of the families would turn up for fun and games and a great feast before returning home. This was in the horse and buggy days and continued into the 1930’s. One very interesting thing of note is the way these early settlers were dressed for their picnics. They possessed only two sets of clothes, working clothes and their best suits, while the ladies wore their lovely dresses and pretty, wide hats. The boys wore ties – the standards of dressing are quite different today, and people own more than two sets of clothes. 
|