Minnie (, the fresh des Graham, was raised on Heidelberg’s Banyule Homestead during the early 1860s and that her father hired regarding Joseph Hawdon. She partnered Robert Martin Jr during the 1874, the only real son away from Dr Robert Martin of neighbouring Viewbank Homestead that has been oriented up to 1840, a few kilometers downstream on the Bakewells’ Yallambee.
In the 1922, pursuing the farm try ordered by Bartram nearest and dearest, Viewbank Homestead is skillfully demolished, property now so you can little more than an effective warren regarding rabbits burrowing on the its fundamentals.
Dr Martin’s matrimony gift on the couples is actually Banyule Homestead in itself, which Graham was actually promoting into Hawdon’s behalf to possess some decades
For individuals who get up on brand new empty location of the Homestead today, marked given that an enthusiastic archaeological webpages around the southern prevent of one’s A whole lot River Bike Path, and you can stop to seem over the area, looking for a sugar daddy to send me money you will see Banyule Homestead poking out from the suburban landscape. You to unbelievable pre gold rush strengthening nonetheless stands toward contrary ridge above previous farmland, redeveloped on 1970s since the “Banyule Flats” park. How many times did Minnie Graham look out of Banyule across the this valley with rose-coloured glasses imagine precisely what the upcoming you are going to possess in store?
The wedding happier Robert Jr’s father, Dr Martin, whom noticed in it a beneficial merger away from colonial gentry. Regrettably Robert Martin, a good diabetic, remaining Minnie widowed shortly after merely few years of relationship and this only demonstrates you to definitely when you look at the real-world almost always there is the new chances of an unwanted postscript with the Jane Austen ending.
If it came to son-in-law matter, Dr Martin set this new bar high and you may is actually keen that each and every of their five daughters is always to wed towards the Melbourne professional. About three ones, Emma, Charlotte and you will Annie selected otherwise had picked in their mind, really credentialed men who have been the members of new ded, Annie, Dr Martin insisted you to definitely she marry the town coroner, the middle old Dr Richard Youl, taking zero see out of his daughter’s attitude nor taking to help you cardiovascular system the latest greater disapproval: “folk out of Female Hotham downward all pitying worst Annie”.
Dr Martin’s most other two girl used their hearts and in very undertaking defied its father. Edith Martin married Chief Bradley, the frontrunner out of HMS Galatea, the brand new watercraft that delivered Prince Alfred, Duke away from Edinburgh in order to Australian continent towards basic Royal trip. Dr Martin disapproved out-of naval officials and you will Edith corresponded for the secret with Head Bradley to possess annually prior to a married relationship is actually agreed up on. Even then her father insisted to the a long involvement off 2 ? age in advance of relationships nuptials had been you can.
Squinting to look west, through the dated Bunya pine and you may toward mode sunrays, you can perhaps think for a moment the way the relationship between Minnie and you can Robert, the proverbial more mature child nearby, possess created
This new black colored sheep of your own friends are definitely Dr Martin’s eldest son, Lucy Martin which observed the woman heart’s desire and eloped for the 1857 having Lieutenant John Theodore Thomas Boyd of your own vice regal group. Dr Martin had considerably less value for junior army officials than just he did getting naval men and had before declined his permission for the matches. Old 23 Lucy is free to wed anyway which is only exactly what she performed, leaving Viewbank towards a beneficial pretext and you can meeting Boyd at the good pre-create rendezvous that they travelled to Richmond become married. It later on gone back to Viewbank so you’re able to acknowledge and even though we are able to think of the world you to ensued, the story seems to have finished in forgiveness. The couple seems to have rapidly got the hang off they and you can lead 12 children, also Arthur Merric Boyd, the brand new beginning dad of Boyd dynasty out of Australian musicians and artists. Now this is the progeny regarding Dr Martin’s wayward kid Lucy that are remembered by background.
