Francis Anthony Milte

(Source: Kathleen KARPINSKI- Nov.1999) The 7th. child, Francis Anthony MILTE was born 26 July 1850 at Willunga. Church Baptisms- Catholic Church,Gawler -No. 7. Baptised: 1 September 1850. Parents: Francisgot MILTE, Elizabeth UPHOFF. Godparents: Joseph BADE & Bridget FAHY. Clergy: Francis & Mary (von BOECKMANN) were married in St. Peter & Paul'sCatholic Church,Gawler. There is now a new church on this site. MARRIAGE TRANSCRIPTION: 24 February 1879. District:Barossa. Francis MILTE born Greens Plains South Australia. Age:28 years. Father: Joseph MILTE. Mary BOECKMANN. Age 19 years. Father: Ferdinand BOECKMANN, of Gawler. Witnesses: Mr LUCK-occupation, Farmer. A EGGERS, Farmer's daughter, Concordia. (Witnesses - Mary's 1st. cousins.)

Francis & Mary MILTE crossed the Murray River by Loxton over the South Australian border to Brim & Hopetoun 'Victoria in 1895 with his household effects carried in two waggons, and who through sheer grit and determination won through years of drought and other hardships of pioneering, retaining through all a firm belief in the future of the Mallee.' 'He occupied land just south of the present township of Lascelles, about one and a quarter miles from Minapre. He and an Aaron HAMLYN were the first two settlers. He cleared two blocks of land.' The older MILTE children were born in Kadina, South Australia. According to his youngest daughter Stella- "Our house was built on a pine ridge. It was built of pine logs and plaster. There were six rooms. The large dining room had a floor with special narrow boards (especially for dancing, as that was the main evening pleasure for the young folk at the time). The kitchen had a cellar beneath, and a brick oven just outside one door, where my mother baked bread thc. Garden both back and front, surrounded by high netting fence, and just beyond this ws the cow yard, with gallows used for killing cattle for meat supply.

Francis was the first Minapre representative for the Karkarooc Shire Council in 1897, on which he served for 7 or 8 years. He often walked to Hopetoun for Council Meeetings. He was Chairman of the Cemetery Trust. In December 1904, F.A. MILTE was granted a hotel licence for the Minapre Hotel comprising of a hotel bar, two dining rooms, two parlours, nine bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom & pantry, The hotel licence cost one hundred & twenty pounds. I 1906, the Minapre Hotel was granted permission to sell liquor for extended hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays until 1am & 12 pm on Saturdays, for the convenience of the travelling public - possibly after late train arrivals.

(Source: Land Worth Saving"- The Progress of Lascelles -pages: 81,128,130,146-7,180.)

[Source: The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA:1889-1931), Wednesday 8 May 1889, page 6. Meetings: The MILTE COPPER COMPANY. extracts: The adjourned extraordinary meeting of the MILTE Copper Mining Company was held at the Hamburg Hotel on Tuesday evening. The Chairman of Directors (Mr. W. BERMINGHAM) presided, and there were about 15 shareholders present. Captain BOND said the meeting had been adjourned to allow the promoters of the company to decide whether they would refund the 300 pounds received by them as payment for the mine. The mine had been proved to be worthless, and he thought the money should be returned and applied to testing the mine at greater depth, or else divided pro rata among the shareholders........Captain BENNETT .... he found five bags of ore on the property, and had raised mearly four tons that would yield 20% of copper at least..... Mr WEBB said there could be no doubt that there had been as great a swindle perpetrated as was ever foisted on the public. He did not refer to the promoters in this, because he believed that both Mr. BERMINGHAM and Mr MILTE had been deceived in common with the other shareholdes, but Captain LEAN had hoodwinked the whole of them..... Mr MILTE said it would be impossible for him to return the money as he had been compelled to use it, and did not have it to return. He received the some of 146 pounds in February, but had parted with the whole of it. ....Mr BERMINGHAM said he distinctly refused to return the money. He had lost his money many a time, and he saw no reason why he shold be asked to return the money.