James Purves was the only child of Peter Purves. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him in 1835 and he was placed in the care of an aunt. Heartbroken,Peter,a stonemason,joined his architect brother James to build bridges in Van Dieman's Land (Tassie.)By 1844 they may have become managers of Edward Hobson's Tootgarook Run while Edward managed and named his brother's run "Traralgon" (River of little fish.)James joined his father,Peter, at Tootgarook in 1852 and they had 8 years together until his death in 1860. James seems to have immediately afterwards moved to Fingal.(See the JAMES PURVES AT FINGAL journal.)Later, he established Green Hills on the west side of Purves Rd,Rosebud.

Emily Caroline Quinan was a daughter of Robert Denison Quinan who had established a private school in Dromana by 1861 when it was chosen over Nicholson's to become the Dromana Common School because of the support of many redsidents including Sarah Wilson and her sons Robert and George,who praised his efficiency and called him a gentleman of the highest character. A teacher's salary was not great so he added to his income by book-keeping for the Kangerong Road Board. However the books wouldn't balance and this would cast doubt on his efficiency and/or character so he tried to borrow 5 pounds from Richard Watkin of the Dromana Hotel. He was refused. He committed suicide!

Family Notices
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Friday 4 July 1862 p 4 Family Notices
PURVES -QUINAN-On the 16th ult, at the residence of the bride's father, Dromana, by the Rev. James Glover, of Schnapper Point, James Purves, of Tootgarook, to Emily Caroline, daughter of Robert Denison Quinan, Dromana.

Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918) Thursday 2 February 1865 Supplement: Supplement to The Bendigo Advertiser p 1 Article
... of Oeelong Advertiser. MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE AT DROMANA.-A most deliberate suicide was committee.1 at Dromana on Saturday last. A man named Robert Deny Denison Quinan, a schoolmaster employed f>y the Educational Board at Dromana, was found in the scrub close to the township on Sunday afternoon, .

Bunyip (Gawler, SA : 1863 - 1954) Friday 5 July 1907 p 2 Family Notices
... DEATHS. QUINAN.- On the 21st of June, at 'Green Hills.' Dromana, Victoria, Frances Emma, in her 85th year, relict of the late R. D. D. Quinan, and mother of Mrs, John Laird, Gawler, Mrs. James Purves, Victoria, and Robert and Arthur Quinan, W. A., and *tster sister in-law of

Robert's widow seems to have used her second given name rather than Frances.

DROMANA SEMINARY for YOUNG LADIES.
A widow lady, residing near the beach, is prepared to receive BOARDERS.
All the branches of a sound English education, ?30 a year ; extras If required.
Young gentlemen taken under 12.
Every attention to comfort and welfare. Satisfactory references. Address, E. QUINAN.
P.S.-Coach leaves Dromana daily.
(P.7, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Thursday 12 December 1867.)

MURRAY GOMM?S TEA CHESTS.
Murray Gomm is the younger son of George Gomm. Raymond St, near Gomms Rd is named after Murray?s older brother. George Gomm?s father, William Herbert (known as Paddy) was one of Somerville Henry?s sons. Murray has his shed almost full of photos etc about the family?s past. We spent four hours looking at a minute portion of this trove with pauses while I scribbled notes about the anecdotes prompted by each item.
Three of the stories concerned Somerville Henry and his grandsons, Billy and George. Henry might have started at Somerville doing it tough, such as surviving on Kangaroo meat for years from his arrival in 1861. However, once the advent of the railway (and the station on his doorstep) made him a rich man, he spent most of his time in Brighton hob-nobbing with his mates such as Tommy Bent. His sons were left to run the farm and hotel. Henry would appear with large parties of friends to spend a few days in the guise of a country squire. One of the activities on offer was shooting. Thirty double-barrelled shotguns sat in racks for the guests. By this time, Henry's presence down here was dictated by meeting dates. As Henry was such a prominent citizen, it was taken for granted that he would chair meetings.
Billy excelled on the sporting field but also in civil administration. He headed the Lands Department with young Henry Bolte working under him for some time. They became mates (like Henry and Tommy Bent) and the Premier often visited the pub. Another of Billy?s high level friends was Reg Ansett and once they drank together at the Mornington races while Billy wore one shoe and one gumboot. Billy always dressed like a country hick while on his farm, and unable to find one of his shoes, opted for the unusual combination, which seemingly did not affect the airline magnate.
Billy milked over 200 cows at three milking sheds, or rather George and other relatives (including Billy?s glamorous wife) did this work. During the war Billy enlisted and was stationed at Northam in Western Australia. Prahran had earlier been interested in recruiting him. (Trove.) His brother,George, wanted to join the navy but was denied the opportunity because his production of milk and food was an essential service.
George eventually grew disenchanted because of Billy?s lack of contribution on the farm and left. He went to South Australia and despite the full-time demands of his job, he proved his sporting prowess by playing three games for Norwood in the state?s top football competition. He was managing the Beauville Thoroughbred Stud in about 1950 and one of the lads who helped out there became a household name. Young Colin said to George, ?If you give me the contract to transport your horses, I?ll be able to buy a horse float.? George granted the request and launched the career of Colin Hayes, a trainer whose achievements have probably only been equalled by Bart Cummings. Much later one of Colin?s horses beat one of George?s and Colin was so grateful to George that he virtually apologized for beating him.
In about 1952, George opened a milk bar in Flinders and also did a milk run that he later sold to Kinross Dairies. At the age of 38, he started a football club at Flinders. George knew Clarrie Jennings well. Clarrie was also involved in dairying and the family had spent quite a while near Flinders before moving to Kariah (bounded by Dundas St, Browns Rd and Weeroona Rd) in 1914. Clarrie left Rye, bringing several of its players, and captain-coached Flinders to the premiership in that year. By 1967, when Murray Gomm first played for Somerville, the club had become Crib Point-Flinders and now survives as Crib Point.
In about 1954, probably because of government regulations regarding pasteurization of milk (which smaller dairies could not afford), George must have sold out to Kinross. He returned to help his father, William Herbert (Paddy), on the farm whose entrance and homestead was near Harrow Ave. Murray Gomm was born here in 1955. The farm was well equipped with sporting facilities. There was a tennis court, enclosed by the hedge visible in the photo of Paddy with his gun dog, a cricket pitch and a huge barn with stalls for 20 horses.
The Gomms (with families such as McLear, Purves,Jones, Benton, Wooley, Rennison, Watkin, Webster, Bullen, Buchanan, Cain, Anderson, Townsend, Ford, Moat, Holden, McKeown and Boag*) had been involved in horse racing since its inception on the peninsula in the late 1860?s. Horses romped all over the Glenhoya land.
*A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA Colin McLear Page 109.
It is easy to see how Paddy?s son Billy became a champion tennis player while at Frankston High and represented Victoria in Lands Department Carnivals, and how George was deemed qualified to run the Beauville Stud.
In 1960, George took his family to Queensland to dairy farm on a property of about 300 acres at Marsburg near Ispwich. One of the photos shows the modern milking system and one of George?s workers. For years on end, George won the Herd Recording award for best milk output. In about 1965, George sold the farm for 30 000 pounds and invested the money by buying land in the vicinity of Second Avenue, Palm Beach, Currumbin. He went into partnership with two builders, whereby he would get a certain proportion of the profit on every house they sold. This proved so lucrative for all that the builders took off a holiday in Japan. George read an article about a mineral and noted that the only places that it had been found were in Mexico and Torrington, New South Wales. The latter?s mine had not operated for forty years. (Torrington is near Glen Innes.)
Not one to twiddle his thumbs, George was soon at the ghost town. When he walked into the pub, he received a frosty reception but after a battle royal with one of the locals, he was regarded as their type of man. (This sounds like the description of life near Rye in the 1880?s!) From that point, they could not have been more helpful. With Tommy Toy pointing the way, Ken Keys, Herman Teech and George made their way by car (one on horseback) to the end of the beaten track, from where they walked a considerable distance to the abandoned mine.
The mineral that George was after was Bismuth but first he had to open the tin and manganotantalite mine. This mineral is a magnesium rich tantalite. The world?s largest reserve of this mineral is in Brazil but in 2006, 75% of the world output came from Australia. When George arrived, the town had a population of 20 and the only power came from the publican?s generator. George employed the whole town and soon there was a proper road linking the hamlet to the outside world.
In 1867, George turned into a white knight. Brother Billy had been big in the Lands Department but was also Melbourne?s biggest Starting Price (S.P.) bookie. He had drawn Sid Graf into the latter activity. A raid on the hotel had led to both of them being banned from the premises and Judge Driscoll told George that the hotel would be closed down unless he took over its operation. Reluctantly, George agreed to do this and left Herman Teech to manage mining operations and publican, Ronno Malone, to pay the workers.
The first sentence of the previous paragraph is not strictly correct because George was already a white knight to the whole population of Torrington. Whenever he made a visit to check on operations he was mobbed by a hero-worshipping throng. Eventually the strain of running the mine and the pub at the same time became too much and the mine was sold in about 1970.
The hotel became so popular that rival publicans breathed a sigh of relief when George retired. It employed 66 staff, including eleven permanent barmen. Two truckloads of beer arrived every week, three at Christmas, and 3000 meals were served weekly. George?s successor experienced a downturn in trade, which was arrested when George agreed to help him out.

The obituary indicates that Henry had moved his family to Somerville in late 1865 but he had spent several years ensuring they would be comfortable and "Glenhoya" was well set up to provide a living. He had been splitting his time between Somerville and Cheltenham and on one of his travels may have found the purse that could be claimed at the Frankstone Hotel.
THE BUTCHER THE BAKER THE by Bruce Bennett. The following comes from page 13.
Mark Thornell spoke at a smoke night in honour of Henry Gomm in 1904, stating that Henry had been in the district 43 years and for the first twelve months had no meat but kangaroo flesh.

IN THE TERMINOLOGY OF GENESIS,THIS IS WHERE OUR LOCAL FOOTY HERO CAME FROM.
George Gomm came from the land of the Royals;
Gold mining and house building among his toils.
Settled at the corner of Balcombe and Charman; (Melway 86 H5)
The teenaged Henry a fisherman.

Margaret, from the Monk family in Church Rd,now Church St,(Melway 86 G4)
Was not far away and they happened to meet.
They tied the knot in 1859, in the next year had a son,
And soon Henry's land-clearing at Somerville was begun.

After eight more were born they begat their last laddie;
William Henry, 1880,they all called him Paddy.
He married Jean Firth and they begat two sons;
Club legends George and Billy were the ones.

George was a worker, George was a smiler;
This must have made him attractive to Lila.
And they begat Raymond (of versatile skill)
And Murray, local footy hero of Somerville.

This was Henry and Margaret Gomm's first child, George, born in 1860 at (the parish or road district of ) Moorabbin. Murray and Raymond's dad, George is the nephew referred to.

MR. G. GOMM. Mr. George Gomm died at his residence at Somerville on September 2, aged 76 years. He was one of the oldest residents of the district, having lived there for about 70 years. He leaves two daughters to mourn their loss.The funeral took place in the Mornington Cemetery last Friday. There was a large gathering of mourners at the grave. The casket was carried by Messrs. G. Gomm (nephew), W. Firth, A. Firth and J. Marshall. The pall-bearers were Messrs. J. W. Caldwell, S. Clark, J. Firth, V. Gault, H. Hawken and F.Mills. The burial service was read by the Rev. H. Owen Watson. Mr. Hector Gamble conducted the funeral arrangements.
(P.4, Frankston and Somerville Standard, 10-9-1937.)

Here's a turn-up! By 1899, Henry Gomm was extremely deaf. (Perhaps it was caused by his fondness for shooting!) He also owned some property at Fitzroy and that might have been where the Devlins were living in 1901. Alfred England was the grantee of 56 Moorooduc (fronting Graf Rd and Eramosa Rd, including the Centro Somerville site, Ronald Court and the Somerville Rise Primary School grounds)to the west of Glenhoya (crown allotment 57), and 58 to the south, bounded by Graf Rd, the water Reserve, Blacks Camp Rd, Jones Rd and Bungower Rd. (Melway maps 107 and 148.)
(P.3, Mornington Standard, 12-10-1899. WAS HE DEFRAUDED?GOMM V ALF.ENGLAND.)

Henry's boy who went west.

PARENTS
HENRY THOMAS GOMM b.1838,WHEATLEY OXFORDSHIRE ENGLAND
MARGARET MONK B.1842, BIERTON BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ENGLAND

HARRY FALBY GOMM
born 24 02 1873, FRANKSTON VIC
died 02 02 1962, KALGOORLIE WA

FAMILY LIST
SPOUSE: CATHERINE ROGERS,B 1866, M 1900 ALBANY WA, D 1950.

CHILDREN
HENRY CHAMBERS GOMM,B 1900 ALBANY WA
FRANCIS WILLIAM GOMM, B 1902 ALBANY WA, D 1987
THOMAS FALBY GOMM, B 1904 ALBANY WA, D 1939
CHARLES GORDON GOMM, B 1905,ALBANY WA
JACK M H GOMM, B 1906 PLANTAGENET WA, D 1980
CATHERINE MAY GOMM, B 1908 ALBANY WA

ELECTORAL ROLL
Year Surname First Name Gender Residence Occupation
1903 GOMM HARRY FELBOY M BRUNSWICK ROAD LABOURER
1912 GOMM HARRY F M KALGAN RIVER FARMER
1922 GOMM HARRY FALBY M KALGAN RIVER FARMER

albany wa - Great Southern Pioneers

Harry Falby Gomm's service details from MAPPING OUR ANZACS.
Service number 24526
Place of birth Frankston, VIC, Australia
Place of enlistment Blackboy Hill, WA, Australia
Next of kin Gomm, Catherine (wife)
WWI file B2455, GOMM H F

Harry's great-grandson, Kevin Gomm, has a publishing company called DIGGER PRESS. The website for DIGGER PRESS shows that Kevin looks very similar to our local footy hero. It also reveals that Harry fought in France and Belgium during W.W.1, suffering from the effects of mustard gas. He had earlier served as an armed guardsman at the Princess Royal Fortress at Albany throughout the 1890's.

Harry's second son, Frank (see previous comment)was Kevin's grandfather and was one of the key individuals who oversaw the bringing of the Desert Corps Memorial from Egypt and its erection on Mount Clarence at Albany. Frank was awarded the BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL for services to Legacy. Kevin's father, Brian was a National Serviceman and a talented pianist. We all know that Darwin was bombed during W.W.2 but it comes as a surprise to me that Western Australian towns suffered air raids too. Drawing on his family traditions, Kevin was an accomplished musician but is now the foremost authority on Western Australia military history relative to W.W.2.

Did the musical talent come from the Gomms?
Gunner Gomm was heard on the local concert platform for the first time in the song "Little Nell," and received a fair share of applause.
(P.3, Albany Advertiser, 4-11-1899.)

The Misses Grant sang a couple of duets very well; Mr H.Gomm doing justice to two very fine songs. (P.2, Mornington Standard, 29-3-1894.CONCERT AT MORNINGTON JUNCTION.)N.B. Mornington Junction had been known as Baxter's Flat until a railway line branched off to Mornington, and is now known as Baxter. Was this Henry, who was extremely deaf by 1899, or Harry, before his departure to the west?

Dance music was also supplied by Mrs Griffiths and Miss Jessie Gomm.
(P.2, Mornington Standard, 7-7-1898.) Mr H.Gomm Snr rendered an item but it was unclear whether he sang or recited. Ted (Charles Edward)certainly sang and Isabella Jessie obviously played an instrument.

So it seems as if military historian,Kevin Gomm, inherited at least part of his musical ability from Somerville genes! The big question now is whether Murray can sing !!!

We know the link between the Gomms of Somerville, Victoria and Albany, Western Australia was Harry Falby Gomm. While trying to find details of Harry's involvement in the council at Albany or an obituary on google, I found details of his son, Thomas Falby Gomm's wedding in 1932 on the outback pioneers website.
WesG - Outback Family History
outbackfamilyhistory.com.au/Miscellany/WesG.htm‎
GOMM Thomas Felby, 1932 Dec 12, Norseman. Methodist Church, HARSLETT Lilian Grace Allen, Ba/Prospector, Albany, Norseman, GOMM Harry Felby/ ...

And then I found that the W.A. branch of the family had its own MURRAY Gomm.
In view of not having found any marital connection with a Murray family, I can only assume that the name was part of the family folklore taken west by Harry. (See after the ORANJE TRACTOR excerpt.)

Oranje Tractor | Our Story
www.oranjetractor.com/OurStory.aspx‎
His story: Murray Gomm. Murray was raised in the Albany region, on a dairy farm and fled, as most school-leavers do, to continue his education in Perth.
His story: Murray Gomm
Murray was raised in the Albany region, on a dairy farm and fled, as most school-leavers do, to continue his education in Perth. Although he studied physical education, most of his work has been in the health promotion field. He has a naturally 'green thumb' which he clearly inherited from his mother, and a penchant for hard work like his father - who is still farming on the adjacent property. Murray is the creative genius of the oranje tractor team: he took the photo of the tractor that's been used on the label, and he developed the name oranje tractor.

THE MURRAY-GOMM CONNECTION?
Harry probably played cricket with the Murray boys.(P.S. note DEVLIN!)
Somerville Railways play Hastings on the ground of the former, whose team will be chosen from the following, Docwra, Barrett, Harboard, Gomm 3, Beauland, Devlin, Rule Murray and Firth. (P.2, Mornington Standard, 4-1-1894.)


While the majority of the Murray grants were on the south side of Mornington-Tyabb Rd between Stumpy Gully and Coolart Rds (14AB, 13, 8A Bittern of 445 acres) and 6A Tyabb (144 acres granted 1875, Melway 107 G8, Inghams site)the following death notice indicates that the Murrays would have been well acquainted with the Gomms outside of sport and possibly great friends. The post office was probably diagonally across the railway crossing from Henry Gomm's Somerville Hotel.

Mornington Standard (Vic. : 1889 - 1908) Saturday 16 August 1890 Edition: MIRNING. p 2 Family Notices
... Death. MURRAY--On the 7th August, at her residence, Somerville, Elizabeth, the dearly beloved wife of Charles Murray, and only daughter of James Grant, post- master, Somerville. Deeply regretted. .

Somerville was probably still pretty much a small country town in 1950 but it had local government in the form of a shire. It makes you realise how quickly Western Australia has grown in fairly recent times to discover that Frank Gomm was a member of the Albany Road Board at this time. By 1872, Somerville was represented on Mornington Shire Council by Alfred Jones of Almond Bush Stud and the Kangerong and Flinders Road Boards joined to become a shire two years later.

To the "Editor"
Sir,-It has come to my notice that some person has been broadcasting false information regarding my previous term as a member of the Albany Road Board.
If my memory serves me correctly I attended 39 out of a possible 48 meetings.
Most of the meetings were missed while I was on military duties. I resigned from the Board when I joined the A.I.F. and received my D.P.?.
The above can be verified by calling on the Secretary of the Board.
-Yours etc., FRANK W. GOMM. (P.6, Albany Advertiser, 21-4-1949.)

He was not the first Gomm member of the Road Board.
ROAD BOARD ELECTIONS.
The following additional returns in connection with the road board elections, held throughout the State on Saturday, have been received: ?
Albany. Torbay Ward: P. W. Buckeridge, 47; J. S. Whittem, 17; J. T. Rutherford, 14. Lower Kalgan Ward: H. C. Gomm, 22; O. Thorne, 24. Auditor: H. W. Leask (unopposed). (P.9,The West Australian, 15-4-1930.)

Lila Gomm's great grandparents were not given on the Purves/Quinan side.The following comes from Hec Hanson's MEMOIRS OF A LARRIKIN.

James Purves' father was Peter Purves. Peter was born in 1802 in Berwick upon Tweed in Scotland. He was a mason as indicated on his tombstone at Point Nepean. Peter married his sweetheart, Barbara Scott, in March 1835, and on 29-9-1835 while living in Pilgrim St,Newcastle-on-Tyne, England,she gave birth to a son,James. A month later, Barbara died and leaving the baby in the care of an aunt,the heart-broken Peter went to Tassie to join his architect brother, James, building early bridges there.Peter joined his father at Tootgarook in 1852 and they had 8 years together before Peter died in 1860. The name of Peter's lost sweetheart became Lila Gomm's mother's given names.

Hec stated only that Barbara Scott Purves' mother(Emily Caroline,nee Quinan,) was born at Broken River(Benalla)on 16-3-1844 and died at Rosebud (i.e.Green Hills)on 4-8-1910. Details of Emily and her parents are shown below.

Emily Caroline Quinan - Records - Ancestry.com
records.ancestry.com/Emily_Caroline_Quinan_records.ashx?pid=54318224
10 Records ? Born in Broken River, Victoria, Australia on 1845 to Robert Denys Quinan and Emma Frances Shackcloth. Emily Caroline married James Purves and .

Emma Frances Shackcloth (1823 - 1907)
Born in London, England on 1823 to William Shackcloth and Mary Anne Watkins. Emma Frances married Hemminsly. Emma Frances married Robert Denys Quinan and had 6 children. She passed away on 21 Jun 1907 in Dromana, Victoria, Australia.