Person:William Wells (44)

                                THE WELLS FAMILY OF GOL GOL

William Wells was born in France and sailed to Australia in 1850, landed in Adelaide at the age of 12 and travelled across to Ballarat with his family and a herd of cattle. Kate Bland arrived in Australia on the ship "Gipsy Pride" and was married to William at Buninyong (Ballarat area).

When the gold ran out at Buninyong the family set off in open wagon (a daring escapade in the time of the Kelly Gang who were captured in June of that year) and arrived in Gol Gol in February 1880.

Kate Wells, known to the locals as Nurse Wells, was the local midwife and assisted many of the districts babies into the world. She would often row across the Murray to deliver a baby-often without reimbursement.

Most of the time she would only receive a chicken, vegies or cheese for her devotion. She delivered the "Dring Dozen" into the world in their own home, and had nine children of her own, most of them attended the first Gol Gol School.

Clarence (wife Charlotte)went rabbiting at Mallee Cliffs Station along with his father and brothers to help supplement the family income.

Gabriel was born with a deformed right hand and was described thus "what that man couldnt do, nobody could" His main work early in life was rabbiting, he prefereed contract work rather than working as a station hand for the squatters.

He obtained his engineers ticket and worked on pumps along the river Later he rode to the opal fields at White Cliffs near Lightning Ridge on his bicycle; rode a horse to Pt Albert (Gippsland), and travelled Cboth ways)by boat to Western Australia and overland to Kalgoorlie. He is well remembered at Gol Gol for his ventures which include the fencing of all the central properties around which he planted almond trees some of which stand today. He planted a vineyard on what later was to be called "Drings Hill" and later when he married he planted a second vineyard on the the western side of Moontongue (Gol Gol) Creek. Today he is still remembered pegging out his rabbit skins on the ground using the stump of his hand to hit the nails in.

In 1937 he had the foresight to write a description of life in Gol Gol which has provided a first hand account from the early 1880's, which has been used throughout this book.

Gabriel owned the first wireless in Gol Gol and the first car - a T-Model Ford which he won in a raffle!

Ernest (non swimmer) - drowned at Gol Gal

Thomas (married Ann CL) revisited Gol Gol 1931

Amy(married Tom McMahon the school teacher)Amy also taught needle work at the school.

Blanche (married David Wickert)and lived at "Mindook" Mallee Cliffs

Cecelia "Aty" Rheba(married Duncan Robb) was a fully trained teacher who taught at a private school in Gol Gol and later at the Provisional School. They lived in Gol Gol until c1921.

Roy died from Red-Back Spider's bite.

William(strong swimmer) - drowned at Gal Gal.

WELLS RESIDENCE

It has been suggested that this residence was once an outstation at Mallee Cliffs Station, and indeed when Gay Wells arrived with his family in 1880 he described "a stone building". However, research had provided nothing to substantiate that the Wells residence was indeed the outstation, the family descendants feel that William and his sons built their home.

The walls were 18" thick and made with lime and mud mortar. Pine logs, adzed by hand, were used in the construction of the roof and probably had an earlier covering of bark. In later years corrugated iron was used. The floor was earthen for many years until a wooden one was installed.