Drovers
Alfred Cream was born in Geraldton on the 2nd Jan 1864. He married Mary Ann (Agnes) Hayden from Northampton in 1896. Marys father was Constable James Hayden who along with Tommy Windich & Jemmy Mungaroo apprehended Moondyne Joe.
History seems to say that Alfred and William worked together and when William ventured into management, Alfred took over the reins so to speak. Alfred also worked in partnership with his brother John. His company Cream & Co were Geraldton butchers and were in business for nearly 35 years.
Alfred moved some very big mobs of sheep. One was in the vincity of 9000 head in 1923. He set a record in Sept 1908 having overlanded 5400 sheep from the Ashburton to Geraldton. Remarkably Hubert Troy announced in August 1918 that he had set a record with 5100 head ten years later.
Alfred spent 45 years of his life as a drover and passed away in 1943. He was 80 years old.
John Slade Durlacher was born in Perth on the 17.1.1859. He was 15 years old when he ventured to Esperance for the Dempster brothers of Northam with drover James Stewart. In 1876 he went with Sam Vivash to his Inthernoona Station (later Tambrey Station), where he managed pearling and station affairs Later in the early 1890's he went to work for W.D Moore.
He was based in Sharks Bay, pearling for Viveash when he married Louisa, the sixth daughter of the late W. Edwards of York. At the end of his term in the north west he returned to York and purchased the farm "Auburn" near Mackies Siding. He retired to "Kiama" Victoria Parade, Claremont in 1913 and passed away on the 12th of April 1918.
Joseph Fredrick Waldeck is the son of William and Eleanor Waldeck (nee Gooch) and was born in August 1870. Eleanor is the daughter of Joseph and Mary York (nee Jarvis) who arrived on the 20.08.1842 via the Simon Taylor. Her first marriage was to George Gooch (arrived 28.12.1831 via the Egyptian). George Gooch died 3.7.1861 and then Eleanor married William Waldeck in 1864. Joseph married Florence Ada Hyden, of Fremantle on the 9th of July 1901. His place of residence at the time was Wooramel Station. Joe passed away on the 10th April 1938 aged 69 years. He is buried at Milly Milly Station.
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Nicholas Wade Kirwan was born to Richrd Kirwan and Johanna Bacon on March 19, 1878 at Blinman in South Australia. He married Marion Hanna in 1907 at Mt Margaret (Laverton). Marion passed away on the 20th Dec 1910 (23) . After Marion passed away he ventured into droving. Nickolas remarried again to Stellar K Mason in 1928. Nickolas had many a varied job in his early days, notably as a teamster. Nicholas passed away at Wiluna on the 13th of August 1945 aged 67.
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Patrick Killmurray
was born about 1880 in Dongara. His father Patrick arrived via the Robert Small on the 19.8.1853. He marrried Bridget Murphy on the 21.2.1868 who arrived on the 2.1.1867 via the Bride.
Patrick listed his place of residence as North Pool 1903, Darlot 1912, Upper Gascoyne 1916, Wongawol Creek 1925. Generally he was in the vincity of Leonora and Wiluna. Patrick was also involved with Nick Kirwan in a mining venture.
Walter Edward Chawner (1864) and Charles Chawner (1866)
arrived in Western Australia on the 4th of October 1883 via the Helena Mena. Walter and Charles were nominated to work for Robert Edwin Bush at his Bidgiemia station in the Gascoyne region.
Drovers
The Troy Brothers grandparents Richard and Mary (nee Smith) arrived via the Sabrina on the 13.06.1853. He first went to work for Sewell of Toodyay and later became a stud master at York.
Thomas Troy was born at sea in 1853. After leaving school he went to the Gingin district where he worked for the Lefroy brothers as a shepherd and drover. Thomas and his wife Elizabeth Flora (nee Jones) later retired to "Chitna" located near where the Gingin brook spills into the Moore River.
Thomas's sons Hubert Leslie (Born 1888) and Lionel Thomas (Born 1884/85) were known as the "Drovers Troy". Their earliest recorded drove seems to be around 1915. They operated as a team on some droves and on their own acccounts with others.
In 1932 they tracked and found a lost child at Belang Pool on the Murchison.
William (Bill) Cream was born 30 May 1861. He was raised on the Greenough Flats at the Lime Farm. He was educated in Geraldton.At the age of 16 he left school and started as a shepherd on a leasehold property the family had 60 miles east of Geraldton. At 25 he had a brief experience as a carpenter but relinquished this to go back to the land.
His first account was recorded in 1884 when he lifted sheep for the Rotton family from Victoria to the Gascoynr via Elizabeth Springs. In 1886 he accompanied John Davies to his Mt Clere Station and landed 904 sheep from the Upper Gascoyne to Perth. He carried on droving for 25 years till 1908 with his last account for Messr Wittenoom and Burgees, taking 12000 sheep from Boolathanna station to Mulga Downs.
After the droving he managed Dairy Creek Station for the Fitzpatrick family just after they had created Dalgetty Downs station.
Upon leaving Dairy Creek (1912) he took over Robert Bushs "Clifton Downs" (Bidgiemia) where he remained till the station was sold in 1929 to Mr.John Wren and Mr. H. Crossthwaite of Melbourne.
He and his son Ray took over the lease of Cobra Station. He stayed here till old age. He was visiting his daughter Mrs Frank Leeds of Abydos Station and passed away there, he is buried at Port Headland Pioneers Cemetry. His wife Mary Cream (nee Gould) is buried behind the original Cobra Homestead.
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