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Nathaniel Brown — A Pioneer Monumental Mason

28/6/2017

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Nathaniel Brown was born in Derbyshire on 18 March 1815. In 1854 he had a severe illness and came to Australia later that year under medical advice to move to a warmer climate. After retiring in 1890, he returned to Nottingham at the age of 76 to repay debts incurred before his migration. ​
When he died at the age of 91 in August 1906 a lengthy funeral procession left the Yarra Street Methodist Church, where he had been a prominent member for over forty years, for his interment at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. His late wife, Caroline, had died in December 1855 at the age of 34 years. The unveiling of their restored tombstone in 2003 by Allan Willingham was followed by a short walk looking at examples of Brown’s work. In 1865 he married Mary Toan.
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At Brown’s 90th birthday celebration he received congratulations from a large number of relatives and friends. He was described as hale and hearty, had been closely associated with the Methodist Church, Geelong, from the earliest days. He was an enthusiast in Sunday school worker, and was specially gifted in addressing scholars, his addresses being characterised by their originality and effectiveness. He had recently retired from active church and Sunday school work and with his wife, who was also a teacher in the school, are both keen to see the work they loved carried on by a younger generation.
Brown was the superintendent of the Noble Street Sunday School for many years where he was always listened to attentively. He noticed that both teachers and children got into the bad habit of coming late. He announced that each Sunday morning he would tell an interesting story for five minutes before the opening. Very few came late after that.

​After Brown’s death, in October 1906, the Geelong Advertiser printed a letter which had appeared in a Nottingham newspaper years prior:
A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO NOTTINGHAM TRADESMEN
​HONORABLE CONDUCT OF AN OLD TOWNSMAN
​
​Some people travel a long distance at times, in search of health or pleasure, or to make money; but it is a rare thing for a man to travel sixteen thousand miles to pay old debts. During the last few days, however, several tradesmen in this town have been quite unexpectedly visited by Mr Nathaniel Brown, a former resident in Nottingham, with this object in view.
Mr Brown, who was a stonemason and has been living in Australia since 1854, was (through no fault of his own, but owing to some queer treatment he received in carrying out contracts he had in hand) to ask his friends to accept a composition, as he was not able to pay them the full amount of their claims.
Knowing him to be a very conscientious and honourable man, this was readily done, and a ‘’ ‘deed of release’ signed.
Since that time it has been the ambition of Mr Brown’s life to pay the balance of those debts, and after 37 years of toil in Australia, he has had the pleasure of seeing the day arrive when he is able to carry this desire into effect. He has come over to our town, and, with the assistance of his early friend, Mr EH Gordon, is looking up every one of his old creditors, or their representatives and presenting each with a cheque to cover his old obligations. Mr Brown is of a very modest and retiring disposition, and for himself is content with doing what he looks upon as a duty; but such a rare example of sterling principle ought not to pass without a word of praise, at least one of the recipients of a cancelled and long forgotten debt thinks so, and has communicated this narrative.
Mr Brown is well remembered by some old friends at Halifax-place Wesleyan Chapel, where he worshipped and worked, and was highly respected before he left for the Antipodes.
He was one of the contractors for the Geelong Town Hall. He had run his business, employing many apprentices, at a stone yard opposite the Geelong Post Office. His name is on many monuments which are distributed throughout Geelong and the Western District.​
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Nathaniel Brown
​The Mount Duneed Cemetery has many fine examples of his work.
​Brien, Henry and Deborah
Dow, Robert and Agnes
​Hillard, George and Dorothy
Keith, Andrew and Euphemia
Mackenzie, Margaret and John
​Preston, Robert, Jeannie and Isabella Agnes
Williams, Joseph and Hannah
​Willson, William Hodgkin Grimley

The Eastern Cemetery has over three hundred of his monuments.

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from Geelong Advertiser 1862
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The monument erected in memory of Caroline and Nathaniel Brown at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
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Richard Heath MD

21/6/2017

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Dr Richard Heath — contributed by Philip Leahy
Dr Richard Heath was born on 11 July 1809 at Bishop's Stortford, Hertsfordshire to Joseph and Susanna (née Day). He was a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons England and held a License of the Society of Apothecaries London 1830 which was mandatory for all who dispensed.  He had practised as a surgeon in London and at the Queen Adelaide Lying-in Hospital in Dublin before migrating to Australia with his wife, Mary (née Davies) arriving in September 1858. Mary was born in 1818. She had married Dr Heath in 1836.

In 1859 he published in Geelong a second edition of his book "Deafness: Its Cause and Cure".
​
The family settled at Mount Duneed. When the property was for sale in December 1868 it was described as being at the foot of Mount Duneed, and commanding an extensive and picturesque view, and containing 40 acres of rich black soil, several of which have been well trenched, and five acres planted with vines, 2½ acres being in full bearing order. The residence is a substantial and modern built bluestone dwelling house with a slate roof, containing a large drawing room, dining room, three bedrooms and dressing room, underground cellar, kitchen, servant's room, dairy, stabling and coach house.

​He was one of the first Barrabool Shire councillors serving during 1865-66. ​He became the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Geelong West on 1 February 1866 and served until 1 December 1867. He contested the seat of Geelong West in 1868 and East Geelong in 1871.

​In 1870 he was appointed coroner at Benalla.

He became resident medical officer of the Benevolent Asylum in North Melbourne. He lived at 133 Flemington Road, North Melbourne.

​His wife, Mary, died on 22 September 1886. Her only surviving child was Mary. 

​Dr Heath died on 10 February, 1888, aged 79, at his residence in Flemington Road, North Melbourne a few hours after his daughter Mary, aged 39.
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from Geelong Advertiser 1 January 1859
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from The Farmer's Journal and Gardener's Chronicle — 12 August 1864
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from Geelong Advertiser 6 August 1864
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from Geelong Advertiser 5 December 1868

Richard Heath — Dentist


​Dr Heath was previously married to Fanny Ashenden. Fanny was born in 1805. She died in 1833 when their son, Richard, was born. Lieut Col Richard Heath was a dentist practising at the rooms over the Argus office in Market Square, Geelong before the passing of the Medical Act of 1890. He was a Member of the College of Dentists of England.

​Richard died in 1917.

photo — Geelong Heritage Centre
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Jonathan and Mary Ann Town

14/6/2017

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Headstone of Jonathan and Mary Ann Town at Mount Duneed Cemetery
Jonathan and Mary Ann (née Raisbeck) Town arrived on the James Brown in January 1853 with their 11 year old son Samuel. Mary's age was given as 37 and Jonathan's as 36. Jonathan became a farmer at Freshwater Creek. 

​Jonathan died on 18 December 1886 aged 71. Mary Ann died on 21 February 1880 aged 65. They are buried together in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.  He signed his will with a cross probably because he was illiterate. Jonathan left an estate of £115/7/11 personal property to his son Samuel.

Samuel, who became a state school teacher, was born in Ovenden, Yorkshire, England. He married Janet Armstrong Harkness, daughter of John and Janet (née Armstrong) Harkness. Their children were:
Lillie Allen — born in 1874 at Mount Duneed, married James Leopold Hodges on 14 August 1895 at Bendigo, died in 1931 at 2 Falconer Street, North Fitzroy 
Jonathan Raisbeck — born in 1876, Married Henrietta Caroline Sauerbrey on 26 July 1905 at Bendigo, died on 31 October 1924 aged 48 years at Swan Hill, buried at Bendigo Cemetery 
Jessie Armstrong — born in 1877 at Gobur, died in 1880 aged 3 years
Samuel — born 1880 at Gobur, died in 1957 aged 77 years at Fitzroy

​Samuel died on 4 September 1903 and was buried at the Bendigo Cemetery. Janet was buried with him on 13 October 1929.​
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Waurn Ponds Memorial Reserve Service — Past Event

11/6/2017

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The reserve is situated on the north east corner of Cochranes Road and Waurn Ponds Drive (the old Colac Road).
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Waurn Ponds Memorial Reserve
contributed by Thomas Welsh
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John and Margaret Mackenzie

7/6/2017

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John Mackenzie was a Barrabool Shire councillor serving from 1865 until 1867 and 1869 until 1874.
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