Person:Matthew Oliver (1)

Father Matthew Oliver , b. 31 Oct 1827, Witley, Surrey, England Mother Eleanor Jane Mead , b. 25 Nov 1838, Yorkshire, England

Harriet was Matthew's 1st cousin, she was the 3rd child of Thomas and Elizabeth Mead of "Springhill" and then Southern Brook Northam.

The 1st Muresk College magazine in an article on early Muresk includes Matthew recalling trips to Perth with a motley team of a horse and a bullock driven tandem. A return trip meant a week away from the farm. He also remembered camping under the weeping willow at Millpond. (This was at the foot of the Horseshoe Bridge Markets and still later the Bus Station entrance were built there.) From there Matthew walked to Leederville to see the Perth Fremantle railway being built. (c.1881)

Harriet and Matthew were married in Guildford. After their marriage they farmed "Preston" Northam. A strict teetotaler, Matthew was a member of the Rechabite Lodge. For most of his life he smoked a pipe, having learned as a young lad, keeping alight the pipes of Shearer's. His beard was permanently stained in his later years by the nicotine and the black tea, which he constantly drank. (Harriet emptied all the leftover tea into a lidded tankard on the hob: Matthew took a swig from it every time he came into the kitchen!)

In retirement he enjoyed gardening. Rose grafting was a particular his ultimate ambition was to produce a blue rose. He was not beyond a little trickery; blue ink worked where his grafting did not! He also grew a variety of herbs, which were dried and sold. Dogs were kept away from his garden by accurate "ging" shots fired by Matthew from the front verandah.

When they moved to town, Matthew & Harriet boarded their grand children enabling them to attend Northam High School, thus Neices and nephews boarding in town to go the High school were frequent visitors to tea.

There are many memories of the "things" that were made; an impressive water trough, numerous walking sticks, a sheep bell yoke, board games such as Cribbage & Chinese Checkers, clothes brushes with horse hair bristles and bone crotchet needles. Together Matthew & Harriet made straw hate, and baskets, plaiting dampened farm straw then stitching the plaits to shape. Matthew's hands were always busy. Grandson, Bill, remembers him walking home from the Butchers with the meat parcel on his head leaving his hands free to whittle at his tobacco plug & fill his pipe.

1. ↑ Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages. West Australian Pioneer Index 1841 - 1905
   Births: Reg. No. 2971.
2. ↑ Jeni Martin (Leo van de Pas). Leo's Genealogics Website (WA Pioneers)
   http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I39275&tree=WAP.
3. ↑ Jeni Martin (Leo van de Pas). Leo's Genealogics Website (WA Pioneers)
   http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I39275&tree=WAP.