Were members of your family

part of Fyansford’s history?

Before covid and its restrictions, I embarked on a program of information gathering regarding Fyansford’s history involving both cold-calling and online requests for assistance.

This subsequently involved direct meetings over coffee at a local café or personal home. In other situations bundles of photos / documents were emailed, posted or dropped off at my place.

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A great number of community members have contributed to the success of this site.    and I am indebted to them all. I would especially like to acknowledge the following for their time and effort - Evert van Dreven, Andreas Makarewitsch, Dianne Higgins, Paul and Val Synot, John, Neil and Don Gugger, Gary Viccars, GerryKellie Martin, Nathan Cleasby-Jones and Jo Mitchell.

Information gleaned from such interactions obviously ends up on my web-site with, of course, permission of contributors. In many cases, I subsequently produce e-flipbooks for posting and in others self-publish, hard-cover books (3 copies): one for my collection, one for the contributor and one for the Geelong Historical Society. A perusal of relevant web-pages will indicate the extent of these publications.

I found it particularly interesting to read “The Pioneering days of Fyansford” by Bert Wilks; one of the many early documents that came my way. An analysis of the document revealed the following family and other names contained therein. Apparently, our humble township was at that time quite a bustling community:

Joseph Wilks  James Wilks  Henry Wilks  Charles Wilks  Wilks Brothers   Mr. Cyril Synot  Mr. Myles Synot  Mr. Walter Synot Mr. Charles Wyatt  Mr. Charles Kean  Mr. George King  Mr. Henry King  Mr. Alfred King Mr. James Spalding   Mr. Josiah Windmill  Captain Fyans  Captain Collins, Mrs Wonsor   Mr. E. Hopton  Burgess  Dawes  Mr. and Mrs. McCurdy, Mr. and Mrs. James McFarlane  Mr. Alexander McFarlane Dr. William Kingston Baylie  Dr. Green   Dr. Hope   Dr. Blundell   Percy Blundell, Messrs. Collier  Robertson  Mr. H. Robinson  Mrs.Greenwood  Petrie, Messrs. Bright  George Wright  J.C. Carr  Myles  Mills   Mr. Robert Kilpatrick, Mr. Frederick Hobbs   Messrs. Barthold and Lowe   Mr John  Mr. Baum, Miss Emmeline Hopton  Charlotte Hopton   Granny McCaskill  Mrs. McDonald, Misses Walker  McLennan  Miller  Clarke  Patton  Mrs. Chirnside, Mary Ann King (now Mrs.Olney)   Selena King (now Mrs. Warren), Revs. Snodgrass   Tyson  George Shipway

Earliest Pioneer Farmers   Mr. Victor Cornu   Messrs. John McCarthy   Mr Highett, Michael Casey   Tomas Mackrell   Mr. C. J. Whyte   Mr. Sach   Mr. Gavin, Messrs. T. Heard  Pegg  Gugger brothers  Aschleman  Giroud  William McCarthy, Mr. John Dear  Mr. Dardel  Mr. John Highett  Mr. Henry Collins   Mr. William Henry, Mr. Westcott   Mr. Gray  James Riley  Mr. Peter McCann   Mr. W. B. McCann, Mr. T.J. Noske   Donald McCaskill  M. 0’Callaghan  Jim Connolly, Archdeacon Macartney  Mr. W. Kirhene  Mrs. Littlewood    Mrs. Hoggart, Mrs. & Miss McNaughton   Messrs. Aikenhead, Eason and Miller, Messers. P. Miller, John Robinson, Matthew Foggo and O’Brien, Captain Volum, Mr. Andrew Volum and Mr.Duckor, Francis Crofts Love, Richard Matthat, William Hicks and Richard Skews

Fyansford Bridge   Messrs. Sayers Bros   Fyansford hotels  Manifold Heights, Balmoral Hotel  Fairview Hotel  Swan Hotel  Junction Hotel  Friend in Hand, Swanville 2  Riverside  Synot’s Mill  Meltham  Dietrich’s vineyard, Buckley’ Caves  Cement works  APC Company  First Church, Paper Mill   First State School  Fyansford Hill  Toll-gate  First Post Office 

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I would love to hear from descendants of any of these early Fyansfordites; particularly if their association continued for any length of time. I can always check my copy of the Fyansford primary school register. Unfortunately, however, entries between 1903 and 1934 are not available. In a later post I will list surnames of early pupils at Fyansford primary school.

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John Flatt (Fyansford.com@gmail.com)