Jane Dunstan/Rodda
Following our previous email re the wonderful book “A Different Earth” (see News & Reports: Books
which may be of interest) we have in doing some research and have found some came photographs from
past trips and research.
Accordingly we now attach for you to view two photographs taken by Libby in 2008, they are of
Wendron where Jane came from.
Wendron Church (the Church of St.Wendrona)
The New Inn
We leave to you to comment on the sign particularly the Chough with its foot placed strategically on the
Crown!!! Over the years we have had some wonderful meals here.
Another photograph taken by Libby back in 2003 of Jane’s grave in the Vaughan Cemetery near
Castlemaine in Central Victoria and on the Goldfields
There was a huge Cornish involvement in Vaughan in the 19th Century which today is just a sleepy little
village on the Loddon River
Whilst on Vaughan we also attach an article on another tenacious Cornish lady who resided, passed
away and is buried in Vaughan.
Norah Ann Temby nee Moyle. She was living there the same time as Jane Dunstan/Rodda We hope you
also enjoy this article.
Norah Ann Temby nee Moyle
A Tenacious Independent Cornish-Woman
Great, Great Grandmother of Neville Windsor Davies
Great, Great Aunt of Elizabeth Anne Luke
We wish to remember here not a lady who made the “Who’s Who” or who received any medals or
accolade’s, but a Cornish woman who embodied the spirit that we all know was so typical of our 19 th
Century ancestors, who left their homes and all they held dear and like their men-folk were so
instrumental in the development of this new land Australia.
When John Moyle of Lezerea in the Parish of Wendron Cornwall decided to improve the lot of his family
early in 1852 he decided that his best chance was on the newly discovered Gold-fields of the State of
Victoria in Australia. John was a miner and tin streamer in his native Cornwall.
John and his wife Jennifer (Jane) nee Treloar were the parents at that time of nine living children.
Leaving his wife and six of their children behind he duly set off from Falmouth on the ship “Augusta
Schneider” on 6 April 1852 with his three eldest sons and his second daughter Norah Ann. At that time
John was aged (45) and his children were aged as follows Stephen (18), John (16), James (15) and Norah
Ann (12) they arrived at Port Philip, Victoria on 24 August 1852. They mined with his brother in law John
Treloar.
Whilst John, his brother in law and his three sons were to mine for gold it was Norah Ann’s job to keep
tent for them all. All of this would have been a big responsibility for a 12 year old girl.
It has been commented on many times in family folk lore that Norah Ann kept the whitest tent on the
Gold-field, in fact it is said she whitewashed everything.
They mined in the Fryers Creek, Vaughan areas of the Mount Alexander Gold-field and John’s second son
John and Norah Ann’s brother was killed when a dray of timber overturned on him whilst doing part time
work for a local storekeeper Mr Peach in the afternoon of 7 March 1854.
John made a small fortune of £2500 to take home to his family in Cornwall and with Norah Ann left
Melbourne on the 30th January 1855 on the famous ship “Constance” leaving two sons Stephen and James
here in Australia.
Arriving home he found that his rank in the community did not allow him to buy land so he leased Lower
Cargenwen Farm for a period of 99 years or three lifetimes from the Lord of the Manor.
Norah Ann by now a very independent young lady of 15 was sent to a private school but rebelled and
refused to go.
When the ship “Persia” left Plymouth Devon for Port Phillip on 18 April 1857 we find Norah Ann as a
passenger, her second trip to the colonies before her 18th birthday.
The Persia was purported to be going to Geelong but we believe it went to Point Henry arriving there on
27th July 1857 a voyage of 99 days.
Norah Ann was an assisted migrant and the shipping manifest shows that she was going to her brother
Edward!!!
Norah Ann never had a brother Edward and we believe the independent and rebellious streak was again
showing itself.
There was however an Edward Moyle in Castlemaine at this time.
We next find Norah Ann at Vaughan on the Loddon River where she met a widower named John Temby a
native of Troon in Camborne, Cornwall.
John Temby (widower) and Norah Ann Moyle were married by banns, on 19 January 1860 at Christ Church,
Church of England, Castlemaine, by the Archdeacon of Castlemaine, Archibald Crawford.
Their witnesses were Elizabeth Crawford and James Graham.
John and Norah Ann set up a store in Vaughan which at that time had a population of many thousands,
mainly miners. John was also a miner.
Their store was next to the Bank and Police station and opposite the store of “Ball and Welch” This
company which was later to move to Castlemaine and then Flinders Street in Melbourne had their first
enterprise in Vaughan.
After having a family of nine children John died of tuberculosis on 25 September 1875 leaving Norah Ann a
widow with a large family to raise.
John was buried in the Vaughan Cemetery on 27 September 1875 and has a substantial headstone.
Norah Ann continued to operate her store and by this time other siblings had arrived in Vaughan from
Cornwall namely her brothers James and Peter and her sisters Elizabeth and Loveday.
She was a witness to the wedding of her sister Loveday who married Benjamin Besanko at Christ Church,
Church of England in Castlemaine.
Benjamin also a widower was a famous Cornish Mine Captain born in Lanner Cornwall and later on working
in Western Australia and the Copper Triangle of South Australia amongst other places.
Things were to take a dramatic turn for the worse for Norah Ann when on the 4th September 1877 the
following event occurred:
Fire at Vaughan
Report from the “Mount Alexander Mail” of 10 September 1877.
The usual stillness of the quiet and secluded village of Vaughan was broken at about 3 o'clock on Sunday
morning by loud cries of fire. The alarm soon spread and quickly aroused the inhabitants from their
slumbers and it was then seen that the store kept by Mrs. Temby, nearly opposite to Messrs. Ball and
Welch's, in the main Street was in flames. Although a crowd quickly collected it was found impossible to
save a single article within the building and attention was at once directed to endeavour to get out Mrs.
Temby and her sick daughter, aged 17. This was safely accomplished, and the invalid taken to a neighbour’s
house but the shock had been too great for the poor girl, and in a very short time after her removal she
succumbed to the fatal disorder- consumption, from which she had been suffering for some time. In the
meantime the fire had spread to the police barracks and lockup and these rapidly fell before the devouring
elements, being old and built of wood. Constable King, who occupies the offices managed to save his
furniture, but unfortunately left his watch hanging over his bed, and it was destroyed. Fortunately there
was no wind blowing or the old bank buildings would have followed; as it was the roof caught fire once or
twice. On the other side of the burning buildings was Spurling’s butchery establishment and it was with the
greatest difficulty that it was saved as the sparks several times set it on fire. By dint of great exertions the
conflagration was confined to the premises indicated; the origin of the fire is unknown and the loss to Mrs.
Temby must be very severe as she was not insured, having some five months since allowed her policy to
run out. The police offices were rented from Messrs. Ball and Welch and were insured, but Mr. King loses
all from a similar cause to Mrs. Temby. The greatest commiseration is felt for the unfortunate lady who has
now to mourn not only the loss of her property but also her daughter.
Her daughter Mary Jane Temby mentioned above died on 7 September 1877.
Norah Ann lived and worked on in Vaughan for another five years and on her death was a substantial
landholder in the district.
One of her daughters Elizabeth Hannah Temby married the famous Australian Marine Artist Arthur Victor
Gregory in 1890. His work has recently been featured on a set of stamps from Sweden.
His paintings today command a very high price if you are lucky enough to find one.
The last of her children to remain at Vaughan was John (Jack) Temby who lived in Vaughan until his death
in 1950.
Norah Ann contracted Lung Cancer and a day before her death made a will naming her Uncle John Treloar
then an Orchardist of Muckleford near Castlemaine as her executor.
This was the Uncle she had helped keep tent for all those years earlier as a young girl on the Fryers Creek
Diggings.
Norah Ann died on 22 November 1882. She was aged only 43 years and was buried three days later with
her husband and daughter in the Vaughan Cemetery.
The photograph of her grave is on the cover of the Vaughan Cemetery Records a copy of which is in The
Cornish Association of Victoria Library, The Genealogical Society of Victoria Library and the Castlemaine
Library.
As I said at our introduction:
God bless the memory of this our female Cornish ancestor who embodies the spirit of so many Cornish
women who left their homeland, supported their men-folk and so much helped develop the wonderful
land that we today call home.
Sometime when you are playing the tourist travel up the Calder Highway to Elphingstone, turn left toward
Castlemaine until you reach Chewton, a small township with a rich Cornish History.
At Ellery’s Park so named after another Cornish Pioneering family, turn left on to the road that goes to
Guilford and or Campbells Creek via The Duke of Cornwall Mine which has the Cornish history of Richard
Luke Middleton Kitto and the Rowe brothers.
Follow the road further through Historic Fryerstown, cross Nuggetty Creek and past the old now delisted
cemetery of Deadmans Flat, over the hill at Irishtown and down into Vaughan where Fryers Creek enters
the Loddon River and the Mineral Springs run.
Today there is nothing but a metal sign to show where Ball and Welch that large Department Store of
Melbourne commenced their Australian enterprise, Nothing at all of Edhouse’s brewery and only a pile of
rubble where once the Wesleyan Church stood and people worshipped.
The red brick Bank building however is still there
As your car reaches the top of the hill on the way out and on your way to Guildford look back on Vaughan
nestled in the valley below.
STOP. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT ?
A small village in a peaceful rural valley where Fryers Creek enters the Loddon River.
The large trees at the entrance to the Vaughan Mineral Springs Picnic Reserve
The tall poplars swaying amidst the ruins of a bygone age.
The vines of a modern day vineyard.
As you are about to re-enter your car, STOP look again:
WHAT ARE YOU REALLY LOOKING AT?
You my tourist friend are looking at HISTORY.
A little further down the road you will pass on your right the Historic Vaughan Cemetery
Rows of Cornish graves, most showing the dilapidation of age, some at odd angles through the movement
of the soil over the decades.
So many raised mounds with no identification as people of earlier days on a subsistence living could not
afford to honour their loved ones with a memorial.
A tenacious Cornish woman, native to another clime now sleeping peacefully in the bosom of the
Australian Bush.
Norah Ann Temby nee Moyle rests with her family here, a white headstone marks her grave
Compiler Thomas Robert and Elizabeth Anne (Libby) Luke ©
Oll an Gwella…Tom and Libby.