There are some traditional pioneering families that made up the districts of Goorambat, Devenish and St.James in the 1800's.

Small rural townships just outside of Benalla, Victoria, Australia.

The properties were mostly wheat and sheep farms back in the early days.

I have been doing some reserach and have found names and links to these families. Details of when and where they were born, who they married, how many children they had and when and where they died.

Often the Birth, Marriage and Death Registration Numbers are available as well. Which is a bonus.

I have found surnames of- Cooper, Hooper, Berger,Old and O'Donnell intertwined.

Of interest is Thomas Hooper marrying Ada Edith O'Donnell in Youanmite on 30th March 1905. They had five children Thomas Walker Goodman, Edith Alma, Lillian Edna, Albert Samson and Elizabeth Martha.

Thomas Hooper's parents were Samson Hooper the 2nd and Martha Goodman. Samson was born in Cornwall on 16/1/1830 and died in Devenish on 30/1/1898 and buried at the Devenish Cemetery. Martha was born in Devonshire, England on 7/4/1836. She passed away at Boxwood on 4/2/1906. They had 12 children- Henry, Mary, Alice Tamsyn, Emiline, William John, Samson, Martha Emiline, Robert Goodman, Thomas and Richard.

This researching has come from me looking for O'Donnell information as that is my side of the family. Even though I have been doing extensive work with another old family the Tollidays of which I have married into. They also live in and around the Benalla township.

Get in touch if you want any information.

Cheers

Meredith