VISITING THE GRAVE OF GEORGE BOLTON EAGLE. (Dora Curtis)

The grave is outlined with an attractive wrought iron fence. This is surrounded with a concrete apron and a stock proof fence, as the grave is situated in a farm paddock where stock graze.

Traralgon City Council Engineer, Mr. K. Hart, designed this work and it was carried out by Council workers. Traralgon Historical Society is responsible for the cost of materials used. The plaque on the grave was unveiled by Mr. W.J. Cuthill, Hon. Vice President of Traralgon Historical Society. (See photo below).

We were welcomed by our Vice-President, who then introduced our first Speaker, Mrs. Jean Court, a past President of our Society, who has researched the family of George Bolton Eagle. Jean said that the main source of her information was a family Bible of Edward Eagle, sent to her by Mrs. Yvonne Sartori, of East Burwood, a descendant of the Eagle family.

Edward Eagle, the father of George Bolton Eagle, was a Dublin Attorney at Law, but several generations of his ancestors had been farmers in Ireland. He married Letitia Amelia Bolton, also from Dublin, on 14th February 1807. They had 12 children. Edward died in February 1828, and on 9th June, 1829, Mrs. Eagle married Dr. Pilkington. It was with them that George came to Tasmania , in 1833, at the age of 11.

In 1839, George was a cashier clerk with the Port Phillip Bank. He owned a house in Brougham Street, Richmond, in partnership with his brother-in-law, E.A. Walpole. This was sold in 1842, four years before his death at Hobson's. (Mrs. Court has published an history of all the family in booklet form, which is available from the Society).

Mr. Dugald Campbell spoke on the history of the property known as Hobson's Run. This land was taken up by Dr. Edmund Hobson in 1844, and after his death, in 1849, his trustees carried on until March 1853 when the property was divided into East and West Runs, with Traralgon Creek as the division. The West Run was taken up by Dr. Hobson's brother, Edward, who had been the occupier from the beginning. The East Run went to J.F. Turnbull, of the Loy Yang run. Turnbull later acquired 640 acres at £1/0/0d.per acre as his Pre-Emptive Right.

The Campbell great-grandparents arrived in Adelaide, from Scotland, in 1853. They came to Victoria with their 6 sons and 1 daughter. They settled in the Gisborne area, and were engaged in farming, mining and carrying to the Castlemaine area. Two sons, Nicol and Dugald, came to Traralgon in 1867 and bought 115 acres. Later, two more brothers joined them and they had amassed 4036 acres on both sides of the creek.

Photo, left, of the memorial stone and plaque placed on the grave by the Society, in 1963.

Nicol lived in the Homestead, Traralgon Park, and Dugald lived in a home in what is now Marshall's Road. In 1882, Nicol died, and Dugald was the only partner then living in Traralgon. Nicol's family moved to a home in Mabel Street, and Dugald moved to the Homestead. Hugh lived at Riddell's Creek and John at Gisborne. Dugald was a first Shire Councillor and Shire President in 1881. He died in a fall from his horse in 1891.

Now there was over 4,000 acres owned by Campbells, and none of the family lived in Traralgon. John, father of Dugald, Junior, came from his father's home at Toolern Vale, at 16 years of age, to look after the Traralgon property. In 1905, John, senior died, at Riddells' Creek, and Hugh died in 1906.

In 1906 a syndicate was formed and they bought the property from the trustees of Hugh and John Campbell; Dugald's father, John, bought the Homestead block now owned by Dugald, Junior, 600 acres on the east side of the creek. This part was sold to Whittakers and later sold by auction to John McGauran then later acquired by the Soldier Settlement Commission, 1905.

Mr. Jack Gilmour spoke briefly of the time he came to the property as a Soldier Settler back in 1952, when the place was sold to Mr. George Backman (father of Peter Backman). Mr Gilmour spoke of the river flats having silver tussocks there to 10 ft high. The land was later cleared and rotary hoed and sown to pasture, to be the wonderfully productive land as we see it today.
(Photo, right, of the lonely gravesite, circa 1950)

We then moved to higher ground where we saw the site of Hobson's hut, and the depression where the well is thought to have been.

Finally we paid a quick visit to the old Star Hotel, to see the great restoration work being done there, finishing off a very interesting afternoon. Mr. Hore thanked the speakers on our behalf and gave a special thanks to Peter Backman, the owner of the property, for allowing us access to the grave site.