Dear XXX, what do you know about the Five Mile Estate mentioned by Batey in his HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE SUNBURY REGION? Where would this have been? Regards, John.

This is probably going to take some time but the one clue we have is that it was in the Sunbury area. I believe that the Five Mile Estate was named because of its proximity to a stream with the hardly unique name of Five Mile Creek. The creek of this name which flowed through Woodlands Park and Salmon Reserve at Hawstead (Melway 28 F-G1) to join the Moonee Ponds Creek at 28 K2, is geographically out of the question.

This could be a clue.

Witness said he would hold to his original bargain. About a week afterwards witness went up to Lancefield to see the cattle. Found them in Mr. Mooney's paddock, near Sunbury, about 13 miles from Lancefield.

Was in possession until the next Sunday, when he was given in charge of two constables, and the cattle taken away by Mr. Mooney's men. They were driven away to Mooney's paddock at Five Mile Creek.
(P.5, Argus, 30-10-1858, LAW REPORT,CLOUGH AND OTHERS v MOONEY.)

Mooney's paddock was about 13 miles from Lancefield. Therefore it was 7 miles north of the corner of Rae's Rd and Melbourne-Lancefield Rd, which is 32 km (20 miles)from Lancefield. Another way to locate Mooney's paddock is to covert 13 miles to 20.8 km and measure that distance south from Lancefield on Melway touring map 509. This would place Mooney's paddock 3 km south of the Bolinda roundabout near the corner of the road that goes west to Riddells Creek.

It is presently only a theory that the Five Mile Estate was near the Five Mile Creek but the location near Bolinda would have certainly been in Isaac's area of interest.

Hopefully I will find more tomorrow. Due to your query, I discovered how she oaks got their funny name; see my latest journal.


Another theory is that the Five Mile Estate was five miles in extent east-west or north-south. In my SHE OAK journal, I mentioned a feeling that Feehan was associated with the Five Mile Estate, a fairly accurate feeling because Feehan lived next to it.

Before the sale, John Ryan, with James Feehan, if not greatly in error, were located on the Deep Creek, close to what is the Five Mile Estate. I fancy P. Maher was there before 1854.
HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE SUNBURY REGION.
Sunbury News (Vic. : 1900 - 1910) Saturday 27 August 1910 p 2 Article.

It is likely that John Ryan was James Feehan's father in law.

RE JAMES FEEHAN.
This was a petition by Mrs. Mary Feehan,
praying for an inquiry by the master in equity
as to whether her husband, James Feehan,
was of sane mind and capable of managing
his affairs. The petition was presented
through Mr. J. Ryan, the father of Mrs.
Feehan.
Mr. A'Beckett appeared for the petitioner;
Mr. Lawes for Mr. Feehan.
James Feehan was a farmer at Berwick,
but he had freehold land also at Corop, and
leased land at Deep Creek, Bulla. It was
alleged that he had been in the Yarra Bend
Asylum some years ago as a lunatic; that he
afterwards obtained his release; that in
August last he was again placed in the
asylum by an order signed by Mr. F. Call,
police magistrate. etc. (P.9, Argus, 26-10-1880.)

It is highly likely that Feehans Rd (Melway key map 8 between Wildwood Rd and Konagaderra Springs) indicates the location of James Feehan's leased land and that the Five Mile Estate was north of it,near Fenton Hill. If the estate extended north for five miles,guess what,it would include Long John Mooney's paddock at Five Mile Creek.

And guess what! When William Samuel Cox was forced off the Kensington Park Racecourse in 1882, he moved his operations to Feehan's Farm. Feehan had bought Long John Mooney's grant on what is now part of the Moonee Valley Racecourse. The deal was discussed as they rode north to a property, which was possibly the Five Mile Estate!
(Don't ask me about the source of the Mooney/Feehan deal. It could be one of the Keilor souvenirs or a cutting about Moonee Valley Racecourse,neither of which I now have. The Kensington Park info is from titles documents.)

The following confirms that Fenton Hill, the Bolinda Estate and, presumably,the Five Mile Estate were in close proximity.

BUSH FIRE.--Dense volumes of smoke rising in the direction of Bulla on Tuesday told its own tale that a bush fire,and one of no mean proportions, was raging. The fire commenced at Fenton's Hill, on Sir Rupert Clarke's property, at about 11 o'clock, and in a very short space of time a large number of fire beaters were battling with the flames. But with an abundance of grass and a strong north wind their efforts were futile for some time, and it was not until dark that the fire was extinguished. The Deep Creek acted as a break, and it was there that the fire ceased. Sir Rupert Clarke was a heavy loser, part of the Bolinda Estate and the Five-Mile being burnt. Mr. James Feehan was the only other land owner who suffered, he estimating his loss at about 100 acres, besides fencing. Mr. Feehan was fortunate in saving the homestead and a quantity of hay stacked in close proximity,, both of which were in serious danger at one time of the fire.
(P.2, Sunbury News and Bulla and Melton Advertiser, 13-1-1900.)