As my main focus is to acknowledge our pioneers, I rarely indulge in themes except for the effects of the depressions of the early 1840's, 1890's and 1930's, and of wars, which resulted in men marrying women who were not their long-time neighbours. In this case, I make an exception because well after the abolition of slavery, women were virtually relegated to such a status by existing laws and attitudes, even after the Masters and Servants Act was repealed.

Mrs. Mann did not achieve equality for women but was an example of the lack of it. When women married they not only lost their surnames; they were not referred to by their given names, in rate books etc., unless they became widows. When women gave birth they were referred to as "the wife of (insert husband's name!)" John Peter was one of the pioneers of the area near Wagga Wagga but this only happened because he married Mary (nee Bent)whose first husband had died, and inherited her late husband's run which prospered because of Mary's shrewd management. George Page Barber built the heritage-listed Rosebank at Strathmore but this would not have happened if Thomas Napier had not left the property to his daughter, Eleanor.
EventMarriage Event registration number952 Registration year1869
Personal information
Family nameBARBER Given namesGeorge Page SexUnknown Spouse's family nameNAPIER Spouse's given namesEleanor

I glory in the fact that when my wife receives a letter, in most cases it has her given name on it. However the idea of a wife being her husband's chattel still persists in some quarters. There is no way breeders would have accepted the same attitude being adopted in regard to animal pedigrees. The McNabs' Oakbank Annie would never have been referred to as the de facto of (insert name of bull!) Robert McDougall wrote the Shorthorn herd book and the mother of the calf would have been listed by her own name but when it came to his own children we get:
McDOUGALL.—On the 2nd inst., at Essendon, the wife of Robert McDougall, Esq., J.P., of a daughter.
(P.4, Argus,9-3-1872.)

Enlightened husbands treated their wives well but the best example of one who didn't was the revered Sir John Franklin. The following information comes from the sketch of title of 12 acres in section 15, parish of Doutta Galla, for which John English was claiming title by adverse possession. Sir John had leased out a 123 acre farm mainly in section 23 but which included the northern 12 acres of section 15. This 12 acre block later became forgotten until John Murray Peck fenced it and paid the rates on it as part of his Lebanon Estate.

From my EARLY LANDOWNERS, PARISH OF DOUTTA GALLA.
Running from the present Arvon Rd to the Moonee Ponds Creek, this section 15 land ran 295 links south from the Lebanon/Amar St corner to the Lebanon/ Melissa St corner. Franklin bought it from E.J.Brewster on 15-2-1847 for 48 pounds. Because the block was always referred to as part of section 23, there is no sketch of title in J.M.English’s application for title No.46645. When Franklin died he gave Dame Jane, who had borne him no children, only her clothes and left his estate to a daughter from a previous marriage. This 12 acre block was fenced in 1882, possibly by John Murray Peck, but was never sold by Franklin. English claimed title through long occupation.

If not for the fact that certain residents of Rosebud had become widows,(with their given names thus being provided in rate records) the stories of Emily Durham (nee King),Elizabeth Lacco {nee King)and Evelyn Gough (nee Rigg)would never have been discovered. Emily was the great grandmother of Judith Mavis Cock (Judith Durham of The Seekers), Elizabeth was the mother of Mitch Lacco, renowned in wooden boat circles, and Evelyn was the maternal grandmother of the great artist, Arthur Boyd, author of children's stories' supporter of the downtrodden, AND VICTORIA'S MOST PROMINENT ADVOCATE OF EQUALITY FOR WOMEN.

If not for people such as Evelyn, women might not be allowed to drive cars, own property etc as happens in countries dominated by a certain religion. It was not really that long ago that such control of women existed in the mother country and its colonies!

MRS MANN'S IDENTITY WAS FAIRLY WELL CONCEALED AND WHEN A GIVEN NAME WAS PROVIDED, IT WAS JACK. THIS REVEALED ONLY THAT JOHN GILBERT MANN WAS KNOWN BY SOME AS JACK, NOTHING ABOUT HIS WIFE!

THIS IS WHY THERE WAS NO MARRIAGE RECORD ON VICTORIAN BDM.
Marriage.
MANN—SMITH.—On the 26th December,at St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, by the Rev. Father Gorman, John Gilbert Mann, of Melbourne, to Mary Morris Smith, only daughter of Mrs. L. Quirk, of Moonebah.
The Macleay Chronicle (Kempsey, NSW) Wednesday 6 January 1915 p 5