YOUNG AITKEN COLLEGE AT GREENVALE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA APPRECIATES THE HISTORY OF ITS SITE AND AREA, AS DOES GREENVALE PRIMARY. :: FamilyTreeCircles.com Genealogy
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YOUNG AITKEN COLLEGE AT GREENVALE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA APPRECIATES THE HISTORY OF ITS SITE AND AREA, AS DOES GREENVALE PRIMARY.

Journal by itellya

POSTSCRIPT. THE END FIRST.
D.S.Aitken Reserve at Craigieburn was named after David Scott Aitken. Aitken Hill (Melway 386 C11)and Aitken Creek may have been named after David, or perhaps, an uncle named George who is mentioned just in 1895 as a farmer in the Shire of Broadmeadows (which included the Craigieburn area.)
G.AITKEN, BROADMEADOWS
The Aitken College history which I transcribed below has disappeared. Perhaps an old resident of Craigieburn pointed out that the Aitken name in Craigieburn had nothing to do with the early settler west of Sunbury!
See the bottom of the journal and comment 2 after the journal for further details.


AITKEN COLLEGE
Aitken College opened in Term 1 of 1999, and has remained steadfast in maintaining its historic and agricultural links.

The College name (Aitken) has links to John Aitken, who immigrated to Van Diemans Land from Scotland in about 1825. He sailed across the Tasman to the Port Phillip district in 1836, bringing his sheep across to graze on pasture land in the outer limits of the area north of Melbourne. Up until the purchase of the College property from the Gambles in late 1998, the property was still a working farm. The School names (Fairview, Cumberland, Dunhelen and Brookhill) refer to property names associated with the local area and were so named by the settlers and land owners of the time. Fairview was a farm property owned by J. Bond (and possibly bought from John Aitken). The Cumberland estate is located near Woodlands Park. The ruins of the original homestead and some remnants of the original garden are still on the site. The Dunhelen property was built at some time after 1850. The bluestone barn still exits on the site. The Glen Arthur property was owned by Joseph and Celia Trotman; and William, the son of Robert Shankland, a Scot who arrived in Australia in 1841 owned the property named Brookhill. The House names (Brodie, Cameron, Clarke and Millar) are derived from the family names of early pioneer settlers and prominent locals. The Brodies, Camerons, Millars and Clarkes have a long association with the area. The Brodie brothers bought land in the area around Mickleham to service their sheep around the 1840s. The Clarkes also bought land in the area and took over land owned by the Brodie brothers and John Aitken. The Millar family had a local involvement in the area from around the late 1860s. Donald Cameron purchased the land known as Ruthvenfield in 1848, to be later renamed by its new owner, Thomas Brunton, in the 1890s as Roxburgh Park. The historical links that we have maintained is a tribute to the vision of the pioneers who colonised this area.

COMMENTS.
I am yet to be convinced that Aitken's Hill was named after John Aitken. There is only one reference to anyone named AITKEN in connection with the area on trove, none in connection with Mickleham, Yuroke or Craigieburn. There is no mention of the area in John Aitken's biography. The City of Hume must examine Broadmeadows shire's rate records to establish if the hill was named after G.Aitken, Broadmeadows in 1895.
MELBOURNE MARKETS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5. THE MILLS.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Thursday 6 June 1895 p 3 Detailed Lists, Results, Guides
... Ce sold -10 K Bullen, Glenro) ti, G Aitken, Broadmeadows. A. M'LEÍN and Co sold - Bullocks-If)
MARKETS. MELBOURNE MARKETS. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5. THE MILLS.
The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946) Saturday 8 June 1895 p 35 Detailed Lists, Results, Guides
... . Aitken, Broadmeadows. ^A. M 'LEAN and Co. sold :-Bullocks-19, XV. Moore, ..fSoloonook, to £0 10s ... , ltockbank; 2, XV. Marshall, Saltwater River. M'PiiAit, BROS, and Co. sold10, R. BuIIen, Glenroy; 6, G ...

Aitken College is on the northern half of crown allotment 9O of the parish of Yuroke, consisting of 361 acres, and known as Springfield. This was on the northwest corner of Mickleham and Somerton Rds and extended 1.62 km to the north, the middle of Melway 178 K3.To the east were "Glenarthur" and Robert Shankland's "Waltham" which are now the west and east halves of the Greenvale reservoir. East of Waltham was Cameron's STONY FIELDS, as revealed by the Broadmeadows rate book of 1863 but this descriptive and hardly glamorous name was soon changed to Ruthvenfield by the same family, and later to Roxburgh Park by Brunton.(Many E.D.F.L. commentators fail to realise that it rhymes with Edinburgh!)

William Shankland's Brook Hill was south of Waltham to just south of Kirkwell Court but Shankland Drive and the Shankland Wetlands are east across the transmission line in today's Meadow Heights. John Bond's Fairview was south of Glenarthur and west of Brook Hill with its south boundary just south of Mossgiel Avenue.JOHN BOND OWNED AND OCCUPIED GLENARTHUR WHEN HE DIED IN 1902. East of Fairview and fronting Mickleham Rd was c/a 2D, which like Springfield was divided into north and south halves of about 180 acres. The north half became Hughie Williamson's "Dunvegan". Hugh's son's memoirs form a large part of the Greenvale Primary School history which explains why a fairly recent school has such a low number.

Springfield became Springfield North and Wally French's dairy farm ON THE SOUTH HALF. Desmond Gamble married a descendant of early squatter, John Brock who, like the Jacksons, Headlam, George Evans and many others,was dispossessed by Big Clarke's special survey circa 1850 and became a pioneer of the area near Latrobe University. When he bought Springvale North, he renamed it BROCKLANDS. In 1933, Edward and Jean Gamble were pupils of Greenvale State School 890 at the Section Rd corner.

Desmond Gamble, the second youngest in his family, was raised at Barfold near Kyneton and went to Dookie College where his brother, Willie from Berwick was principal and then managed a farm in Plenty Rd, South Morang. In 1915 at the age of 28, he married May Isobel Brock. Desmond died at the age of 57 and was buried at the Fawkner Cemetery. His sons, Bill and Ted carried on the milking of 100 cows to supply Cheffers and Collings' dairy at the corner of Scott and Buckley St, Essendon. They also supplied Butterworth's dairy at the corner of Winifred and Glass St in Essendon. Jean Gamble married Jack Simmie of Harpsdale after they'd shouted love* at each other during many sets at the Greenvale Tennis Club (*the score meaning the egg shaped 0 of course!) Nine years later Ted Gamble married Joy Simmie. Helen Gamble who supplied much of this biography in about 1990 married Ken Souter* at the outbreak of W.W.2 ON 2-9-1939. Ken was Principal of Parklands Primary School in Airport West when he retired. The Souters were farming John McKerchar's "Greenvale" which Robert Millar renamed as "The Elms" circa 1990.

All information about locations of farms and the Gambles comes from the G volume of my DICTIONARY HISTORY OF TULLAMARINE AND MILES AROUND.

*The Souters were involved in the history of Dunhelen immediately north of Brocklands, farming in partnership with George Hossack.See my journal, A CHRONOLOGY OF THE OCCUPANTS OF DUNHELEN NORTH OF GREENVALE RESERVOIR.

THE CUMBERLAND RUINS ARE AT MELWAY 5 C1.

See my journal GEORGE SINCLAIR BRODIE'S PROPERTIES BETWEEN SUNBURY AND MERRI CREEK. By the way, George might have been a mate of John Aitken and named Aitkens Hill in his honour.

GREENVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL HISTORY

POSTSCRIPT While writing comment 2 below, I depended on memory when stating that there was no death notice for Craigieburn's Mr Aitken, only a funeral notice which stated that the funeral would leave his residence, 24 Scott St, Coburg for the Fawkner Cemetery. I blame fatigue. There were several death notices which mention his death at Mornington, and his Coburg residence was 24 Walsh Street (see citation below.)

DEATHS
AITKEN.—On Februarv 19 (suddenly).
at Mornington, David Scott, beloved
husband of Margaret (deceased),
loved son of the late William and
Minnie Aitken, of 24 Walsh street,
Coburg. and loving brother of
Nellie (Mrs. Powell), Robert (de-
ceased), Victor, John, George, and
Nannie (Mrs. Uren), aged 57 years.
—At rest.
AITKEN.—David Scott, loved brother
of George, and loving uncle of Wilma
und Kenneth. —At rest.
AITKEN.—On February 19 (suddenly),
at Mornington, David Scott, of 24
Walsh street, Coburg, dear brother
of John and Florence, and loved
uncle of Joyce, Valda, and John.
—Peacefully sleeping.
AITKEN.—A tribute to our esteemed
brother, Dave, who passed away
suddenly on February 19 at Morning-
ton —Beloved by all. (Inserted by
the officers nnd members of No. 5
and No. 44 P.A.F.S., Coburg.)

FUNERAL NOTICES
AITKEN.—The Officers and Members
of No. 44. P.A.F.S., are respectfully
requested to follow the remains of
their beloved Bro. D. S. AITKEN to
place of Interment.
The Funeral will leave his late
residence, 24 Walsh street, Coburg,
TOMORROW (Tuesday), at 2.30 p.m.,
for the Fawkner Cemetery.
D. F. CAIL, W.M.
(ALL NOTICES, P.9, ARGUS, 21-2-1949.)

CITATION FOR 26 WALSH ST, COBURG.
https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/globalassets/areas/heritagelib-7504/heritage-list/coburg---26-walsh-street---oamaru.pdf

The citation is actually for 26 Walsh St. The house obviously sat on a double block, which had been subdivided by 1926 when No 24 had been first mentioned. It is speculated that David Scott Aitken was Mrs Nana Aitken's son*. That is correct. David Scott Aitken's death record (see comment 2)gives both of his mother's given names.


Event:
births
Registration number
31073 / 1891
Family name:
AITKEN
Given name(s)
David Scott
Place of event:
CARLTON, Australia
Personal detail
Mother's name
, Nannie
Mother's family name at birth
WARNER
Father's Name:
, Wm


"

Surnames: NONE
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by itellya Profile | Research | Contact | Subscribe | Block this user
on 2018-05-16 19:36:55

Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.

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Comments

by ladybug54 on 2019-12-07 11:49:10

There is a marriage notice for John Aitken as having married at his residence Mt Aitken, in 1854.

by itellya on 2019-12-08 03:03:20

From the AUSTRALIA DICTIONARY OF BIOGRAPHY entry for John Aitken who settled west of the future Sunbury near Mt Aitken, which Governor Bourke had named after him in 1837.
"It was said by one who knew him that Aitken married a girl (eventually a Mrs Kaye) whom he first sent to boarding school. They had several daughters, and then a son, who inherited the freehold of the Mount Aitken estate, 4000 acres (1619 ha). Most of the much larger original run was engulfed by the special survey of William Clarke. Some time after mid-1854 Aitken returned to Britain; he died in London on 21 October 1858.

The summaries for trove articles can be misleading and neither of the family notices resulting from a John Aitken search in 1854 concerns his own marriage but that of Thos. Jephson, Esq., of Terrick Terrick, in February 1854; one of the notices, that of March 1, mentioning that Aitken's residence was Mt. Aitken.

Isaac Batey's memoirs about early days in the Sunbury area mention several huge occasions held at Mt Aitken (west of Sunbury) after which guests would hit the sack at Aitken's residence. This would tend to confirm that Jephson's wedding took place west of Sunbury and not at the hill near the Dunhelen homestead (Melway 386 B-C 11,12) where the "AITKEN HILL" CONFERENCE & EVENTS CENTRE is now located.

There is also Aitken Creek, commencing at two sources north of Craigieburn Rd as shown on the same Melway map and flowing through Craigieburn Golf Course to its junction with Merri Creek at 387 D11. If George Sinclair Brodie had named the hill and creek after the settler near Sunbury, it would be a miracle if the names persisted through the years. When John Crowe of "Mount Yuroke" on the north west corner of Mickleham and Craigieburn Rds died, Thomas Crinnion bought his farm and called it "Crow's Hill", which name was changed to Ayrshire Park (late Crow's Hill)by David Munro circa 1888 during his lease,but the farm was again called Crow's Hill in 1915 BUT only because the Crinnion family had retained its ownership. That's how easily names could change!

It seems to me that Aitken's Hill and Aitken Creek were named after a man who bought and retained part of the Dunhelen Estate for quite a period of time. If they were named after the squatter near Sunbury, where's the proof?

There is a D.S.AITKEN RESERVE too. The creek and the hill were probably named after this man or his family but he is not even mentioned in the history section of the Wikipedia entry for Craigieburn.

History

Craigieburn’s first people were the indigenous people.

Craigieburn takes its name from an old bluestone inn (its site located directly opposite modern day Kingswood Drive) that catered for travellers along the Old Sydney Road.[2]

Craigieburn Post Office opened on 26 February 1866.[3]

Many people with an interest in history would assume that the creek and hill might have been named after John Aitken. It is up to the City of Hume to acknowledge the pioneer(s) after whom they were named.

I PRESUME THAT D,S.AITKEN AFTER WHOM THE RESERVE WAS KNOWN, WAS DAVID SCOTT AITKEN, BORN IN 1891. IT SO, HERE IS THE NOTICE OF HIS PARENTS' MARRIAGE AND THE RECORD OF HIS BIRTH.
AITKEN—WARNER.—On the 19th inst., at the residence
of the bride's parents, Coburg, by the Rev. John
Cooper, William, only son of the late Robert Aitken,
Esq., miller, Melbourne, to Nannie Maria Gwynne
Warner, eldest daughter of George Warner, Esq.,
Coburg. New Zealand papers please copy. (P.1, Argus, 29-1-1881.)


Event:
births
Registration number
31073 / 1891
Family name:
AITKEN
Given name(s)
David Scott
Place of event:
CARLTON, Australia
Personal detail
Mother's name
, Nannie
Mother's family name at birth
WARNER
Father's Name:
, Wm

There was no notice of David Scott Aitken's marriage in 1925 but here is his marriage record.


Event:
marriages
Registration number
1945 / 1925
Family name:
AITKEN
Given name(s)
David Scott
Personal detail
Spouse's family name:
ANDERSON
Spouse's given name(s)
Margt Maria

Margaret Maria Aitken's will named David Scott Aitken, sack merchant as her executor.

All information seen so far ties David Scott Aitken to the Carlton/Coburg area, not Craigieburn, Broadmeadows, Mickleham, Yuroke etc. with which no Aitken association has been found on trove.

David Scott Aitken died at MORNINGTON in 1949. There is no death notice, only a burial notice stating that Bro. D.S.Aitkens funeral would proceed from
24 ScottSt, Coburg to the Fawkner Cemetery. This would indicate that he was the same D.S.Aitken who was a produce merchant and contributed generously to the (County of?) Mornington Agricultural Show. It may also indicate that the Aitken who occupied "Dalkeith", the pre-emptive right of the Mount Martha run (Melway 151 C8),according to a shire of Mornington/Mornington Peninsula Shire heritage citation, was a member his family.

It is almost certain that David Scott Aitken was the ONLY D.S.Aitken! He may have actually been a friend of James Hearn Junior, of Thorngrove in the shire of Broadmeadows, (whose father, James Hearn who was the last lessee of the Mt Martha run and the grantee of much of the former run and whose mother was the sister of Big* Clarke.) *W.J.T.Clarke at one stage owned all of Jamieson's Special Survey (the Safety Beach area east to Bulldog Creek Rd)before selling the northern fifth of its 5280 acres, which adjoined Dalkeith at Ellerina Rd, to John Vans Agnew Bruce.

I KNEW THAT CHIG (CRAIGIEBURN HISTORICAL INTEREST GROUP] WOULDN'T LET ME DOWN!

The Bungalow (7 Walter St, Craigieburn)

The beautiful old home at 7 Walter Street, Craigieburn stood not far from Sydney Rd and the Craigieburn Station and was built around the turn of the century. Today a block of units occupies no 7 Walter Street. It faced east into Walter Street and along with nice trees was set back about 30 to 40 metres in the middle of the block with a gravel driveway alongside, directly opposite the car repair place and the paint shop. The old home was auctioned off in November of 1999 and relocated to Echuca, Victoria.

The old home had a very varied an interesting life in the years since it was built, sometime at the turn of the century, with owners including the now infamous The Australasian Farmers Centre Draft Harvester Company (of ‘the Wall’ fame), William Duncan McCallum (Blairgowrie & one time owner of the old Craigieburn Inn site), Lois Cadby, Annie Maud McCallum (wife of WD McCallum), David Scott Aitken and in more recent times John Murray Cox of racing fame, the Tidy family long term residents of Craigieburn, the Higgins and Barlings and lastly the Kernan family who were also long term residents of Craigieburn.

It has been claimed the old home was built by the The Australasian Farmers Centre Draft Harvester Company as a part of their grandiose plan to build a town for the workers of the company, although a certificate of title dated 1905 gives William Duncan McCallum of Blairgowrie, Craigieburn, farmer and grazier as the proprietor of the estate of 13 acres 3 roods and twenty perches being on Crown section 16.

At last the involvement of D.S. AITKEN at Craigieburn has been proven and that he was DAVID SCOTT AITKEN. Now the City of Hume could check the shire of Broadmeadows to find out exactly where G.Aitken's farm was in 1895.

This comment will be emailed to Yvonne Kernan of CHIG, Bezza Patullo and the City of Hume heritage planning officer.

by itellya on 2019-12-08 03:12:09

I did proof-read the previous comment (for spelling) but didn't realise that I hadn't inserted David Scott Aitken's death record showing that he'd died at Mornington.


Event:
deaths
Registration number
17187 / 1949
Family name:
AITKEN
Given name(s)
David Scott
Place of event:
MORNINGTON, Australia
Personal detail
Mother's name
, Nannie Maria
Mother's family name at birth
WARNER
Father's Name:
, AITKEN William

by itellya on 2019-12-08 03:20:47

The link to the Aitken College history at the start of the journal is not working so it's just as well I seem to have transcribed the text (as indicated by a word I missed.) A link to the journal (and the comments by ladybug and me), will be sent to the school as well.

by ladybug54 on 2019-12-08 03:47:51

I'll have to correct my mistake. The newspaper reference is dated Feb 1855 is in regard to the marriage of a Charles Randall and Amelia Bird. I have also found three other newspaper references to John Aitken being the owner of Mount Aitken, one in the 1920s when the property was sold, and the others in the 1930s in two biographies.

Not being a local, you have also confirmed the identity of "Big Clarke" for me mentioned in a letter to the McCracken Bros. by John Cowan Cochrane. I am researching Aitken because of his connection to Aitkenside, later leased and owned by the Cochrane family. I note also that Young was also an owner of the same.

by ladybug54 on 2019-12-08 03:50:09

On the 20th inst, by special license, at Mount
Aitken, the residence of John Aitken, Esq., by the
Rev. A. H. Smith, Charles Randall, of Melbourne,
to Amelia Anna, youngest daughter of the late
Mr. Candler Bird, of Stonham, Suffolk.

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