Echuca, Victoria, 1870's.

[osip]

Echuca in 1871 had a population of 4789 people. One of them I believe was my gr.gr.gr grandfather Robert Clark b1810. He arrived in Echuca in 1871 from the UK having been born in Scotland. He passed away in 1902 and is buried in the Echuca cemetray along with his wife Ann 1820-1892.

I thought 61 years old was quite an age to be travelling so far. Firstly he must have had the monetary means to do so. The last occupation I could find for him was a gas factory foreman so he had a relatively fair income.

I was hoping someone could give me an insight into Echuca in the early 1870's and an idea of what work he could have been employed to do at the time. Was there a history of UK immigrants at the time?

[Neale1961]

Using your favourite search engine type in "history of Echuca". There is plenty of information readily available.

[CassT]

Hi

Have you searched TROVE

I found these couple of entry's , will leave it to you to search further

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/271348526?searchTerm=echuca%20robert%20clark

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/187627634?searchTerm=echuca%20robert%20clark

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115041117?searchTerm=echuca%20robert%20clark

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114696751?searchTerm=echuca%20robert%20clark

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197007766?searchTerm=echuca%20robert%20clark

regards Cass

[osip]

Up till now I hadn't searched TROVE but it has proven to be a great source of information connecting Robert to the area of Echuca.

It looks as if he managed to take some of his children with him. Peter is mentioned in the probate details. So Isabelle, Peters younger sister, may well have travelled too. Perhaps even more of the older children which could all lead to a Clark family in Victoria?

I'll continue the search.

many thanks.

[TreeSpirit]

Have you had a look at all of the names on Robert's 1886 will yet?

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/0AA3727E-F53B-11E9-AE98-85A6E2027F0A?image=2

[osip]

TreeSpirit. What an incredible document!

I shall sit down with it later and work my way through the names and their places of residence.

Many thanks.

[TreeSpirit]

It sounds as if you might not have his actual probate documents yet either ...

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/B239DEA4-F1CC-11E9-AE98-69C82EB97CD6?image=1
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/7B82F567-F1E7-11E9-AE98-ED52C9A3F00E?image=1

[David Nicoll]

I think that ties the family together nicely?

A real find.

[osip]

I never could have imagined seeing such documents. And discovering the amount of information they reveal. To be honest I am completely overwhelmed.

There is such a lot of useful information to run through it will take me a while to appreciate it all. But above all it brings the family into focus as real people. My people.

Thank you TreeSpirit.