The involvement of the
Carmichael family with Stony Creek commenced with the marriage of John
Carmichael and Isabella Campbell in 1846, in Shieldaig, in the highlands of
Scotland.
The young couple emigrated
to South Australia in 1849 with three children, Alexander, John and Michael.
After the early death of Isabella, John and his young family unsuccessfully
tried to make their fortue around the goldfields of Southern Australia.
The family grew up with little,
if any, education and John (Jnr.) became a drover, teamster and a shearer,
travelling the countryside to obtain work until the mid-1870s when he met and
married Elizabeth Niven and settled in Berwick.
Around 1879 he, with many
others, came into South Gippsland by way of Morwell and selected land in the
East Dumbalk area. Upon grant of the land he works for the next couple of
summers to clear a small portion, walking in from Mirboo North with supplies,
as there was not sufficient feed to keep a horse on the propertyhe had named
‘Hilands’.
About 1882 he brought his
wife and two young daughters to ‘Hilands’, going out to work clearing for
neighbours and attempting to produce from his land enough to live on. He also
worked with the survey teams , line clearing and helping clear the lines where
the road now runs from Dumbalk East to Stony Creek.
The construction of the
Great Southern Railway line, towards the end of the decade, gave him the
opportunity to sell his produce (butter, eggs and meat) to the large numbers of
railway workers camped along the line.
John, his father, joined
John Jnr and his later death was the first burial in the Meeniyan Cemetery in
1894.
Margaret married Donald
Henderson and lived on an adjacent property for a short time. Alexander lived
most of his life at Dunkeld in Western Victoria.
John and Elizabeth raised six daughters, Eva
(Mrs W. Martin), Ilma (Mrs E. Wills), Belle (Mrs W. Barton), Janet (Mrs D.
Coutts), Mollie (Mrs E. Gunson), Ruby (Mrs E. Campbell and three sons Duncan,
Colin and John (known as Rod). Colin was killed in a fall from a horse at the
age of 14.
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| Belle, with husband William Barton |
Duncan, as well as being a
farmer, was also a well-known livestock auctioneer in the Stony Creek and
surrounding districts, prior to enlisting in the first AIF (Australian Infantry
Forces) during the First World War. He ended the war with the rank of
Lieutenant in the Fifth Light Horse Regiment. Mollie and Ruby also served
overseas as nurses. (As a child, I remember Mollie and Ruby living in Melbourne
in 1984 -LW).
Rod joined the bank in Stony
Creek and later served at their branch at Terang, before returning home when
Duncan enlisted.
After the war Duncan and Rod
expanded operations of the family farm. They rented and bought properties
around the district. They were mainly engaged in grazing sheep with large
numbers of Merino wethers running on the plains country around the Stony
Creek-Buffalo area, part of which had been selected by their father, in the
name of one of his daughters.
Duncan and Rod were also
very involved with football at Stony Creek. Duncan played in a premiership team
in 1911 and 1920 and Rod was in the premiership team of 1920 also, and also in
the Meeniyan-Stony Creek United premiership team of 1925. Their social life
revolved around Stony Creek.
In the late 1920s they both
married. Duncan Married Joyce Martin and they raised three children: Mollie
(Mrs K. Day). John and Rory. After Duncan’s death in 1942, the family continued
to farm until the 1960s, when they sold and moved from the area. John (Rod) married Nina Helms and
raised three children; Colin, Peter and Diane (Mrs D. James).
After World War Two, Rod and
his sons, Colin and Peter, commenced clearing the country between Stony Creek
and Buffalo. At the same time they became involved in the re-establishing of
the Stony Creek Racecourse. Colin and Peter also played football with Stony
Creek and Colin acted as secretary to the club for a year also.
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| The Grandstand at Stony Creek Racecourse in 1911. |
Peter moved to Gloucester
NSW in 1968. He had two sons, Rod and Lachlan.
Colin is still farming in the
Stony Creek –Buffalo area. Colin had a son, Andrew. Andrew had a son, John.
John is the fifth generation of Carmichael to have been born in Australia and
to have lived in the Stony Creek area,
By Colin R Carmichael (1985)
‘Patanga Park’
Buffalo, Victoria, 3958
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| Belle's four eldest children Hermia, Betty (Lisbeth), Phoebe and John The three youngest children were William, Duncan and Colin. (not pictured) |
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