10:25 P.M, 8-10-2014.
Robert George Ely was the teacher at Tullamarine when a couple of Hendry lads and Joseph Jackson were persuaded by too much grog to vandalise Robert's school, which I believe was school 632 on the inside of the bend in Cherie St,Tullamarine,if I interpreted the title document correctly. See the court report in my journal EARLY CHRONOLOGY OF TULLAMARINE. I commented about Robert's role as Keilor's postmaster, shire secretary (or was it the earlier road board?) and Robert having to travel between two schools every lunchtime at one time.

No doubt Chris Laskowski, Angela Evans or Sue Jennison have written about Robert somewhere,otherwise I would not have known about his half-time schools, which are mentioned in the first entry which cropped up in a trove search for TULLAMARINE ISLAND. Let's see how much trove can tell us about Robert and his family. As the first President of the reformed Keilor Historical Society circa 1989, whose greatest achievement was handing over the reins to Susan Jennison O.A.M., it's about time my focus switched to Keilor as Bulla,Broady and Tulla have had a good run.

ROBERT GEORGE ELY.
The Keilor Road State School was examined last week by Mr. Inspector Brodribb, and the result of the examination reflects the greatest possible credit on Mr. Ely, the teacher. Though obliged to give half his time to another half-time school at Tullamarine Island, he worked so energetically for the past twelve months, that he has brought the schools up to and above some of the full time schools. The Inspector, besides giving Mr. Ely a flattering report, gave him over 60 per cent. results on the combined average of the two schools.

Seventy-five per cent of those presented got certificates, amongst whom figures Marion Harvie,aged ten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvie, of the Keilor Road hotel.
(The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918) Saturday 17 June 1882 p 3 Article)

ABOUT CRAWFORD HARVIE (crawford harvie,keilor road station search.)
Mr. Crawford Harvie, who died on Saturday last, was well known and universally respected during the many years that he,with his wife and family, kept the Keilor road hotel, at what was then the terminus of the line of coaches between the Keilor road station and Bacchus Marsh, and beyond. The late Mr. Harvie was one of the best type of colonists, whose conduct in every respect was a good example to everyone. He was auditor for Keilor
Shire for many years. The following paragraph is from the Terang Express of Tuesday last:-Our readers will regret to hear of the death of Mr. Crawford Harvie, proprietor of the Commercial hotel, Terang. For the past 8 years Mr. Harvie has been bedridden, and he passed away quietly on Saturday evening last.

Born in 1823 at Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland. he came to Victoria when a young man of 30 years of age, and settled at Keilor, where he remained for about 30 years. Seventeen years ago he purchased the Commercial hotel property, Terang, and with his wife and family has resided here ever since.The deceased leaves a widow and grown up family of two sons and three daughters to mourn his lose. The funeral was very largely attended yesterday by district residents and friends from a distance. The Rev. S. Fraser, M.A., conducted the service at the grave. (The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918) Saturday 14 February 1903 p 2 Article)

Ironically Crawford's son in law was probably related to the Hendry lads from Tullamarine who trashed Robert Ely's school.

HENDRY -HARVIE .-On the 14th December, at Keilor road Station, by the Rev. Wm. Groundwater Fraser, Wm. Hendry, of Moonee Ponds, to Janet, eldest daughter of Crawford Harvie. (P.1, Argus,20-2-1878.)

Keilor Road Station was renamed Sydenham. A document, produced by the defunct Sydenham Historical Society, explaining the origin of the new name with a photo of Crawford's now-demolished hotel and detailing its location should be in the custody of the Keilor Historical Society. The Crawford Harvie entry in my DICTIONARY HISTORY OF TULLAMARINE AND MILES AROUND has much extra information including the two hotels at Sydenham (Crawford's Union-by 1856, and Alex Furlong's Railway),Crawford's grants superimposed on Melway,the robbery at the Union and subsequent hanging and Crawford being the correspondent of the area's (schools)Board of Advice when the C. of E. school at the bottom of Bonfield St was replaced with a new school farther up the hill. Any Harvie descendants should private message me their email address if they would like a copy of the H1 file.

CRAWFORD'S OFF TO TERANG.
The following would never have been found if I had not had Keilor road station in the search term. I have left Crawford's name uncorrected to explain why.

THURSDAY,. 7th JANUARY, 1886.
CLEARING-OUT SALE AT KEILOR ROAD.
KING & COMPANY have received instructions from Mr.CaswBoan,HAnvis, to sell by Public Auction,, on the ground, at Keilor Road Station, on THURSDAY, 7th. January, 1886,commencing at 2 o'clock sharp, his very valuable freehold property containing 112a. 3r. 16p. of FREEHOLD LAND, adjoining the Keilor Road Station, with a long frontage to a Government road running along the Sandhurst line;- also a long frontage to the main Melbourne and Ballarat road; well fenced and permanently watered. A splendid block forsubdivision.
Also, the whole of his Cattle, Horses, Household Furniture, and Dairy Utensils,comprising 30 head of Cattle, consisting of Cows in full milk, dry Cows, and young stock, 5 Horses, including Draught Mare, Buggy Mare, and Saddle Horses, Buggy, Spring Cart, Dray, &c.The whole of the Household Furniture, including good Pianoforte.
The whole for Positive Sale, Without Reserve,as Mr. Harvie is leaving the district at once.
(The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918) Saturday 26 December 1885 p 2 Advertising)

BACK TO ROBERT.
POSTMASTER AND ELECTORAL REGISTRAR.
The postmaster, such as William Bethell at Bulla and George Couser at Broadmeadows Township was usually appointed as the electoral registrar for a district because people such as farmers and carriers would be unavailable when they were needed.

ELECTORAL REGISTRARS.
The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 - 1864) Thursday 16 July 1863 p 3 Article
... Brown, Footscray; Gisborne, Henry Carroll, clerk of petty sessions, Gisborne; Keilor, R G. Ely, postmaster, Keilor; Kororoit, W. Puller, secretary to road board, Braybrook; Lancefield, Dr Phipps

KEILOR ROAD BOARD.
There may never have been a road board, shire or city of Keilor if the local members of parliament (West Bourke) had not agitated so strongly. This was a large electorate including even Blackwood, that sleepy hollow that at the time was a booming gold mining settlement. In 1974-5, the City of Sunshine wanted to merge with the City of Keilor but this approach was firmly rejected. However the merger did take place about two decades later when Victoria's historic municipalities were Jeffed. Where are the City of Brimbank councillors in 2014?

The complicated dispute respecting the division of the Keilor district between three competing district road boards-viz., those of Bulla, Braybrook,and Melton-was yesterday brought before tho Hon. Commissioner of Roads and Bridges by a deputation consisting of Mr. P. Phelan, late member for West Bourke ; Messrs. M'Mahon and J. T.Smith, the sitting members for that electoral district; and several other gentlemen interested in the question. Their complaint was that they (the residents)had thus been divided against their will, and even without their knowledge, the advertisement of the boundaries not having been noticed by them; and they now
urged that Government should take some steps to allow them to have a separate road board of their own, and so assess themselves.

Mr. Mitchell pointed out that to do this would be a tedious and expensive process, whereas he offered to take care that their portions of the grants in aid to each district, as well as the amount raised by assessment were secured to them. Moreover, he reminded them that by the time they could be separated the District Councils Bill would probably have become law. At first the deputation seemed very unwilling to agree to this proposal, preferring to sacrifice their money if only they could be formed into a separate road board. In the end, however, they acquiesced in Mr. Mitchell's suggestion, and also decided to appoint representatives to confer with the three road boards as to the disposal of the assessment money and grant in aid. The deputation then withdrew. (Bottom of column 2, P.5, Argus,5-12-1862. N.B.DIGITISATION NOT CORRECTED ON TROVE.)

KEILOR ROAD DISTRICT.-To PATRICK PHELAN, Esq., J.P.
Sir,-We the undersigned landholders and householders, resident within the Keilor Road-District, do hereby request you to convene a meeting of the landholders and householders in such road district to form a Road Board for the purpose of superintending, providing; for, and completing the construction, repairs, and maintenance of the roads in such road district, and for carrying out therein the provisions of the Act of the Governor and the Legislative Council of Victoria, 10 Victoria, No. 40, and 17 Victoria, No. 29.
Landholders............. Householders.
William Taylor.......... Alex. Duncan
James Robertson......... James Laverty
John Eagling ............Donald Guthrie
Chas. Daniels........... W. Pinder
James M'Intyre.......... David Beaton
Wm. O'Neil ..............Benj. Ellis
Martin Tuans? ...........R. G. Ely
(Pro. Edwd. Wilson .......Thomas Bertram.
A.Morgan.)

(ABOUT THE ABOVE.
William Taylor of Overnewton,longtime President of Keilor Shire, owned a huge area of land indicated by Taylors Lakes and Taylors Rd and, by his death, land in Tullamarine, all of which was resumed by the crown for closer settlement in the early 1900's. James Robertson owned land north of Overnewton, including Calder Park Thunderdome and called it Upper Keilor. He also received the grants for land in the parish of Doutta Galla that was inherited by his sons,Francis (Mar Lodge, between McCracken St,Essendon and William Hoffman's Butzbach) and James (Spring Hill,renamed Aberfeldie.)Taylor must have been abroad when James became Shire President. Caroline Chisholm's third shelter shed (the first two being near the Essendon railway bridge and the park in Keilor Village)situated beside a creek just east of the road slightly north of the point where the railway made its closest approach to what became the Calder Highway, was described as being at Robertson's. John Eagling, who owned the Waggoners' Arms and, I think,lived in Dagenhurst next to the court house after the troopers departed, became a councillor. Charles Daniels had a farm in the village whose location was given in a source I've forgotten (K.H.S.newsletter/ Keilor pioneers: Dead Men do tell Tales.) James McIntyre had a farm (called "Riverside?)between the north end of McIntyre Rd and the river (parish of Cut Cut Paw.). William O'Neil bought Frederick Dawes Wickham's 19 acre grants to become the owner of "Horseshoe Bend" and leased J.F.L.Foster's "Leslie Banks" (section 20 Doutta Galla) before the Delaheys. Edward Wilson, co-owner and editor of The Argus, was going blind and had just bought part of the Glengyle Estate (section 1 Tullamarine) which he named Arundel within a year or two, on which he intended to retire; Morgan was his overseer. James Laverty owned the North Pole Inn on the west corner of North Pole (Milleara) road and a 50 acre portion of Main's estate on the north side of Rosehill Rd near Rose or Steele's Creek. He also had a hotel in Moonee Ponds east of Hinkins St (the Harvest Home?) which has been wrongly assumed to be in Keilor. Donald Guthrie might have been the father of Alexander and James Guthrie of Glengyle (possibly the portion where Brown's Rd is located right near Bertram's ford.) If I remember correctly,not long after, James was killed while the brothers were in the process of moving to Torgarf near Sunbury. (See EARLY CHRONOLOGY OF TULLAMARINE journal.) Thomas Bertram was in the same area,hence the name of Bertram's Ford. (See my BERTRAM journal.)David Beaton was a shoemaker who had moved to Keilor near Caroline Chisholm Park by 1849. His address was given as Keilor Bridge but he stayed longer than THAT bridge. (See KEILOR PIONEERS: DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES and his entry in VICTORIA AND ITS METROPOLIS.) Benjamin Ellis was probably an ancestor of the Essendon footballer.)

REPLY TO THE SIGNATORIES. (UNDER THE REQUEST.)
Gentlemen,-In compliance with the above requisition, I hereby CONVENE a MEETING of the LANDHOLDERS and HOUSEHOLDERS in the KeilorRoad District, to be holden on Wednesday, 10th day of November, 1862, at 6 o'clock p.m., at tho Waggoner's Arms Hotel, Keilor, for tho purposes specified in such requisition.
P. PHELAN, J.P. Spring Park. Oct. 11, 1862. (P.8,Argus,8-11-1862.)

ROAD BOARD CLERK.
Robert was the first Clerk of the Keilor Road Board when it was formed in 1863.

KEILOR DISTRICT BOARD-I hereby notify that a MEETING of the BOARD will be held at the Keilor Court house, at noon, on the 18th inst., to make a rate. A statement of the proposed rate may be seen at the office of the board, agreeably to tho 183th Sec. of the Act No. 176. R. G. ELY, Clerk, Keilor, November 10,1863.
(P.8, Argus, 12-11-1863.)

An application was made for a quo warranto, calling on W. Bonfield to show by what authority he exercised the office of clerk of the Keilor Road Board. The objection raised against him was that his predecessor had not been properly dismissed ; he could only be dismissed at a special meeting of the road board, whereas he had been dismissed at an ordinary meeting. The Court reserved judgment. (Last column P.4,Argus,26-6-1869.)

MEMO!!!!!!!Was Bonfield's initial W? Check. Likely a mistake like Walter ClarkE of Glenara in the same article.Put the winegrowing involvement in the CLARK entry in DICTIONARY HISTORY OF BULLA journal.
The usual quarterly meeting of the Melbourne Vinegrowers' Association was held on Thursday lost, at Mr. Maplestone'? wine stores, Elizabeth-street. The chair was occupied by the president, Mr. Walter Clarke (sic), of Glenara.(P.5, Argus, 26-6-1869.)

The Supreme Court have granted a rule nisi for a mandamus to compel the Keilor Road Board to pay the salary of Mr. Ely,clerk to the board, and whose dismissal had in a previous suit been set aside as informal.
((P.13, The Australasian,11-12-1869.)

My memory told me that Ebenezer Bonfield had succeeded Robert so I tried an ELY, BONFIELD search.

KEILOR ROAD BOARD.
The ordinary monthly meeting of the Keilor District Board on Saturday last lapsed for want of a quorum, but in consequence of the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of Ely. v. Bonfield to the effect that the dismissal
of Mr. R. G. Ely was illegal, upon a technical point of law, written instructions signed by the Chairman and four of the members of the Keilor District Board, were handed to the Clerk requiring him to convene a special
meeting of the Board, and to give each member seven clear days notice in writing according to the provisions of the Local Government Act, No. 170, for the purpose of removing the said Robert George Ely from the offices
of Clerk, Treasurer, and collector, and to appoint E. Bonfield to the before named offices in his stead; also to appoint Messrs.E. Brown & Son Engineers to the Board, and for the appointment of valuators for the
ensuing year; the said special meeting to be held at the Court House, Keilor.
(P.4,The Bacchus Marsh Express,25-9-1869.)

TEACHER.
in the Crawford Harvie entry in DHOTAMA, I have quoted from a K.H.S. newsletter that William Savage and Robert George Ely were teachers at the Church of England school at the bottom of Bonfield St. As it was costing to much money for the Government to support competing denominational schools, common schools were introduced; Robert was one of the denominational school teachers whose positions became redundant.

MR.R.G. ELY.
Mr. M'MAHON moved "That this House will tomorrow, resolve itself into a committee of the whole to consider the propriety of presenting an address to His Excellency the Governor, requesting that provision may be made upon an Additional Estimate for 1864 for the balance of salary due to Mr. R. G. Ely, schoolmaster, Keilor." The hon. member remarked that Mr. Ely was one of those schoolmasters whose services had been dispensed with by the operation of the Common Schools Act, He had, however continued his duties for three months as the act came into operation, without receiving notice that his services were to be dispensed with, and it was for that period that he claimed payment. The subject had been brought before the Board of Education, but they had refused to pay the amount.

Mr. M'CULLOCH said that if the hon. member would withdraw the motion, he would endeavour to induce the Board of
Education to pay Mr. Ely the quarter's salary. Mr. M'MAHON agreed to withdraw the amendment.The amendment was accordingly withdrawn. (Second half of column 4,P.6, Argus,31-5-1864.)

CARELESS BUT LUCKY HARRY.
KEILOR.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT).
A GUN accident, happily unattended with fatal consequences, took place here on Saturday evening, when Mr. Ely's second son Harry, a lad about seventeen years of age, though generally very careful in handling firearms, was in this instance the unwilling cause as well as the victim of the occurrence. He was taking his gun from a corner of the storeroom, when the hammer got caught in a bag, and a charge of heavy shot caused a severe
laceration of the neck and scalp. Under Dr. Turner's care all danger is now over.
(The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1866 - 1918) Saturday 22 July 1882 p 3 Article)

YOUNG ROBERT.
ELY - On the 4th December, Robert Alexander Ely (of the Bank of Victoria Collins Street,city) dearly beloved son of Robert George Ely, of Keilor, aged 32 years. (P.1, Argus,6-12-1900.)

ELY.--In loving memory of "Our Dear Bob," who died the 4th of December, 1900, "Glenely," Keilor.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.(P.1, Argus, 4-12-1903.)

MRS ELY, POSTMISTRESS.