BASKET DAVEY MILBURN OF KEILOR :VICTORIA'S FIRST IRRIGATOR!!!!
David Milburn of Keilor is officially recognised as the first irrigator in Victoria. (Victorian Year Book 1973.)
As I am about to gain access to DHOTAMA, much information will then follow but in the meantime, readers might care to google "David Milburn, irrigator" and see what pops up. The first irrigating was done on his original purchase, Grange Farm, about which details will be supplied when I can access the Grange Farm entry in the dictionary history.
One of the pioneering families connected by marriage with the Milburns is the Tate family of Pleasant Vale which occupied the western side of Tullamarine Island, (subdivided by J.P.Fawkner)and extended across Jacksons Creek into the parish of Holden where the Tate children attended school after the Tullamarine Island school on Bulla Park closed. (Tullamarine Island is between Deep Creek and Jacksons Creek with Loemans Rd providing access.)The Pleasant Vale homestead was accessed via Cooper Rd and was directly in line with McLeods Rd across Jacksons Creek in the parish of Holden.
While the history of the Milburns revolved mainly around market gardening (orchards with peaches a Keilor specialty until the Spanish invasion of Borrell, Vert and Cuartero introduced crops of cauliflowers, tomatoes etc), it might surprise even the Milburns that David Milburn had Mrs Kilburn's 400 acre ("Fairview"x) "Fairfield" in about 1880.It is likely that this property,north of Sharps Rd and west of Broadmeadows Rd in Tullamarine, was used by David for hay growing or grazing. It was later owned by another pioneer of the Keilor area, James Harrick, before being divided into Brightview and Dalkeith.
on 2011-11-29 01:04:44
Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.