Person:Matthew Farrar (1)

Matthew, accompanied by his parents, arrived in Tasmania in 1839 at the age of 13. After living with a clergyman for a month he went onto a farm. He became a blacksmith and wheelwright. He then went to the diggings and made money blacksmithing. He went to Geelong between 1851 and 1852 and then Shelford where he was mine host of the Settlers Arms as well as operating as a blacksmith. His sons also became blacksmiths and wheelwrights. (Ref: Victoria and its Metropolis Past and Present Vol 11. Information supplied by Rosemary Opiekan.)

The following article appeared on the internet at http://www.farrar.gb.com/shelfor.htm :

"Rothwell to Shelford by M. M. Smith

"The link between Rothwell, Yorkshire and Shelford, Victoria lies in the story of Matthew Farrar. Matthew was born 7 April 1826 and baptised at Rothwell 25 June 1826. His parents were Thomas Farrar and Alice Ward. Thomas was probably baptised 4 August 1802 the eldest son of John and Elizabeth C, referring to either John Farrar aged 24 of Rothwell who married Elizabeth Lake aged 24 of Wakefield at Wakefield 21 September 1798 or John Farrar who married Elizabeth Best 14 September 1800 at Rothwell.

"Matthew may have had a younger brother, Thomas, baptised at Alverthorpe 1 July 1831. Little else is known of Matthew's early Yorkshire days; however, he was later to state that "he came out from the old country to the colony of Tasmania with his parents in 1839 and then after living with a clergyman for a month went onto a farm and then into business". A search of Tasmanian shipping records has failed to find any reference to Matthew and his parents. However, the family may have travelled as steerage passengers often not individually named in the indents. As far as Australian records are concerned Thomas and Alice Farrar then vanish. There is no record of their deaths in the colonies of Tasmania or Victoria.

"Matthew then turns up when he married Matilda Robinson 11 September 1851 at the home of Matilda's mother Mrs Elizabeth Chapman, Argyle Street, Hobart Town. The marriage was according to the rites of the Independent Church. Matilda's brother James William Robinson, a sea captain and her future brother-in-law Anthony William Rowland were among those present.

"Matilda had been born in Hobart 19 July 1831. Her father George Robinson, originally from Attleborough, Massachusetts, had gone to sea on the sealer General Gates. In 1822 he had sought the Governor's permission to leave the ship and settle in Tasmania. There in Hobart Town he had married Elizabeth Presnell 7 July 1823. Matilda was their sixth of nine children. After a whirlwind career in hotels and ships George died 7 September 1839 at the early age of 39. His short illness had lasted 5 days. His widow Elizabeth and children profited little from George's business enterprises nor did they profit from those of Elizabeth's father. Most of the property had been siphoned off to the benefit of their lawyer, Joseph Allport.

"Matthew is one Farrar by both deed as well as by surname. In 1851 he stated on his wedding certificate that his occupation was a blacksmith and he continued to practice this trade throughout his life teaching his sons in turn to follow in his footsteps.

"A few months after his wedding Matthew left on the Pearl from Launceston 15 January 1852 to cross Bass Strait bound for Melbourne and the Victorian Goldfields. On the ship's passenger indent Matthew was listed as a labourer aged 26 years. Perhaps Matilda was also on board but she was not listed. Soon afterwards Matthew's mother-in-law Elizabeth Chapman, her second husband and their daughter followed to Victoria from Hobart Town 18 February 1852.

"With gold fever the dominant flavour of the colony of Victoria, more certain money was to be made by those enterprising enough to service the diggings rather than tempt fate for the chance find. At first Matthew went trading on the coast and from there to Geelong. He eventually settled at Shelford in January 1853 where he subsequently carried on a variety of businesses C blacksmithing, a general store, a small farm and pub. Matthew took over the church paddock Smithy at Shelford in 1855.

"Shelford is a little settlement about 41 kilometres North-west of Geelong and situated on the Leigh river. The settlement had grown up around the pastoral property Golf Hill part of the larger Clyde Company. The Leigh river cuts through the basalt plains to the underlying Ordovician rocks in which alluvial gold was found. The same Ordovician strata are present in the Golden Triangle which includes the renowned gold fields of Bendigo and Ballarat. Matthew's grandchildren as a pastime would pan for a few specks of gold in the gravel of the Leigh river.

"Matilda's family kept in regular contact especially as her mother lived with the Farrar family and this provided a family centre. James Robinson based in Tasmania was master of a number of sailing ships involved in coastal trading, whaling, sealing and plying the Californian gold fields with Tasmanian produce before the Victorian gold rush began. He also tried his hand at the Victorian diggings. At Clunes he put in the first quartz-crushing machinery but the venture was a financial disaster. Two Robinson sisters were also married to men working with James Robinson. George Washington Robinson, another brother died in 1878 in an explosion of the Cambria goldmine near Clunes of which he was a manager.

"Matthew and Matilda had a large family which has prospered and multiplied with the succeeding generations. Today there are more than 2000 living descendants. The family photograph taken in 1874 shows Matthew and Matilda, Matilda's mother Elizabeth Chapman and all their children. The monkey may well have come from one of the sea-faring relatives. Matthew had this animal for years but it eventually turned savage and bit him and the animal had to be destroyed.

"Accounts of the Clyde company, Golf Hill estate list M Farrar as a local tenant and providing blacksmith work for the company. The first account presented March 7 1854 by Farrar and partner Richard Jolly amounted for £23. 2s. It was for the following items (spelling as written): New shoes, frying pan repaired, pomel ring repaired, new bullick kees, shoe removed, new bolts, new eye to pick sharpt, dito, new catch & rivets for gate, pare of tires cut and shut, stock hoops cut and shut, new staples and new pin to gate, dung fork reped and sharpt, new key and links.

The bough shed forge shown in the photograph has long since disappeared. Matthew stands in front of the buggy near wood heap and hoisting windlass. He rejoiced in an aviary outside the kitchen window. His eldest daughter Emma continued this interest for keeping exotic birds. Three of his five sons were trained by their father to throw and shoe working bullocks as readily as to cut and shut at the wheel-mill. The Geelong Advertiser, at a farewell dinner on Wednesday 1 October 1873 to Samuel Wilson of Carrah Flour Mills, Inverleigh records: Comic relief was provided by the Leigh blacksmith: Mr Farrar of Shelford sang a song. He was funny as usual and kept the company in a state of merriment ... Mr Farrar again treated the company to a spice of humour and song.

Matthew Farrar was now one of the local elders and he served as a councillor on the Rokewood Shire Council between 1874-1887. On 26 September 1884 he completed the purchase of the Settlers' Arms hotel from George W Whorlow for £250. The Settlers' Arms was built in 1843 by Captain Francis Ormond on 2 acres of land leased at £75 p.a. from the Clyde Company. Richard Ward had been the licensee c.1876-80 and may have been Matthew's relative on his mother's side.

On 22 January 1885 Grannie Chapman, the local midwife died. She had so long been an integral part of the Farrar family establishment at Shelford. Finally Matthew and Matilda left Shelford 15 January 1896 after 43 years residence to live with their daughter in a nearby settlement.

"Matthew died 2 May 1904 at Shelford and Matilda his wife died 26 January 1918. Both are buried in the Shelford Cemetery, Wesleyan Section. His son George kept the family blacksmith's tradition alive carrying on this trade in Terang, Western Victoria.

Another mystery Farrar is buried in the Shelford cemetery. He was a preacher and is recorded as James Edward Farrar, died 3 December 1892 aged 70? though the informant knew virtually nothing about the deceased. He may well have been Matthew's uncle or some other relative. For example, the following children of John and Elizabeth Farrar were baptised at Rothwell: Thomas bapt. 4 August 1802; James bapt. 28 March 1813; (Elizabeth bapt. 28 April 1816 Bramley by Leeds); James * bapt. 17 September 1820 *Perhaps this person. What adds flavour to this theory is that Matthew's eldest daughter inscribed in the front of her bible, Miss Emma Farrar, Shelford Manse 23 June 1872 where James E was living at the time. Furthermore the family tended to maintain close links with an extended family network throughout the colony."

References cited are:

• P L Brown (Edit.) Clyde Company Papers; Oxford University Press, vol. vi 1854-58 (1968).
• Seton Gold Reef and Silver Tussock - A history of the Shire of Leigh; Shire of Leigh 1988.
• Family Papers, Reminiscences and Photographs
• M M Smith, Mr R (Bill) Gillett, Mrs H Harvey and Mrs M Rutter
• the late Mrs A Lightfoot and the late Mr George Gillett."