John Robert Tolliday is the third child of John Curtis and Sarah Elizabeth Tolliday (nee Miles).

He is one of eleven children and the first son of 7 boys.
He was also their first child born in Australia.

He was born in Ashby which must be near Geelong, Victoria. Birth Registration Number 12932.
The two eldest children Fanny and Eva were born in England.

His mum and dad travelled to Australia in October 1854 on the ship the British Empire taking three months to land at Port Henry Victoria Australia in January 1855.

The Tolliday family consisting of grandmother Jane Curtis Tolliday his aunts, Christiana and Elizabeth and her husband Charles Jonas Clark along with uncle William all immigrated to Australia.

John was a Blacksmith. He married Mary Jane Finch who was also known as Polly in Geelong. They had six children.

Mary Jane passed away in 1928 at Ballarat aged 59. The Death Registration Number 13182.

John passed away aged 81 in 1938 at Ballarat East. Death Registration Number 12199