Thomas Alonza John Mills

BW: Thomas & Rachel purchased land at Bushy Park which was known as “ Shady Vale ”.

Thomas A. J. “ Jack “ Mills was milking cows on “ Shady Vale “ and selling the milk to the Cheese factory at the nearby Boisdale Factory. Jack had become fond of Henrietta Evelyn Ellen Hawkins, the daughter of Edward Harold Hawkins who was the manager of the Boisdale factory. The Hawkins family were transferred to manage the N.S.W.factory. Jack Mills decided if he wanted to marry Evelyn he had to act now, so he followed them to ask if she would marry him.

Thomas Alonza John Mills and Henrietta Evelyn Ellen Hawkins were married on 13-9-1916 at the residence of Edward Harold Hawkins at Taree, N.S.W.

They returned to live in a rented farm house in Boisdale ( just near the Avon river bridge ).

Jack & Evelyn purchased land that was some of the old Swan Estates, that were being subdivided near Nuntin road & the Boisdale Estate. They called their farm “Swan Estate“. The laneway that led to the farm from Nuntin road was known as Mills’s lane.

Later this whole area was put under irrigation from the Glenmaggie catchment, & large channels were cut across the land by large teams of horses & many gangs of men residing in large camps, that were moved from area to area as the scheme expanded. The farmers would then chose where to put their own channels that were leading from the main channel This greatly improved the productivity of their farmland.

The farmhouse at “Swan Estate“ was built on in several stages, as the family expanded, and the need arose, a very large kitchen built, and alterations, eventually enclosing all the back & side verandahs into several bedrooms rooms. Vegetable gardens, & an orchard were grown, plus a large fowl house built over in the padock. The dairy was expanded & moved several times, & machinery sheds eventually replaced harness sheds, plus there were numerous out buildings in use, & barn & hay shed. Wood was gathered from Shady Vale’s plentiful stock of red gum trees.

By now Jack & Evelyn had 6 children, they were all born at Maffra :- Edward Thomas Leslie “Eddie” Mills, born 6-6-1918 Evelyn “Pearl” Mills born 29-12-1920 Ian Macaulay Mills born 2-11-1923 Marjory “Joy” Mills born 21-9-1925 Betty Gwenyth Mills born 6-6-1928 Christina Florence “Ina” Mills born 2-10-1929

The children were first schooled at the Boisdale Estate school, about 2 miles away. Evelyn’s younger sister Florence Hawkins was the school teacher at this school for a time. Quite often they rode a horse to school, where a paddock was provided to turn them out till school was over & they could ride home. Later they traveled by bus from the end of Mills Lane to secondary school in Sale.

During the second world war an RAAF bomber crashed in Mills Lane, leaving a huge hole, killing all on board, & burning for several days. The RAAF cordoned off the area, & they were forced to access the farm only through the paddocks until The area was all searched for debris & it was cleared up.

[All the above is from "Mills Short History" written by Brian Worseldine, grandson of TAJ Mills and Henrietta, son of Ina]

The Maffra Spectator 31 Dec 1914 BEET NOTE. Maffra syndicate crop on the Swan estate is in first class condition, but the committee governing same are determined to profit by past experience, and although one bore put down has proved a pumping capacity of 600,000 gallons per diem, it has been decided to put down a second bore in the vicinity. This is a wise step, and will make a certainty of a good tonnage.

Gippsland Times 31 Jul 1919 THE SWAN ESTATE. Re the-Swan Estate, the Board in formed Mr. M'Lachlan that 400 acres of the Swan Estate had been offered to the Government. Mr. M'Lachlan urged the early purchase of as much land in the Maffra district as they could get to keep the beet factory going.

Maffra Spectator 13 May 1920 The sale of 86, acres of land in the estate of the late D. M'Innes, through Messrs A. M'lean & Co, at Boisdale on Monday last, elicited keen bidding, and a couple of soldier buyers were competitors. In regard to this property, according to the Closer Settlement conditions, only a person qualified for becoming a lessee under the Closer Settlement Acts was eligible to purchase. Bidding finally ceased at L51 per acre, at which price it was knocked down to a returned soldier, Mr T. Mills, son of Mr T. Mills, of Bringalong.

The Maffra Spectator 15 Jul 1920 SWAN ESTATE. SOLD BY AUCTION. As usual when good land comes into the market, keen interest is taken in the sale, not only by would-be purchasers; but by others for the sake of comparison, and such was the case on Tuesday last when a goodly number foregathered at Messrs T. B. Little &.Co.'s office in Johnson Street, Maffra. Amongst the number were Dr. Cameron, Director of Agriculture, and Mr Williams, Manager of the Sugar Factory, both naturally in terested in the disposal of such great beet producing land. Mr T. B. Little wielded the hamner, and, in his introductory remarks, referred to the fact of his intimate knowledge of the land since childhood, and could remember it was the place that the greenest grass used to grow. Also to the fact that if any beasts strayed, they would always be found on what was now known as The Swan. And in time of drought when the country was as bare as the road, grass struggled through on The Swan. Block 11 was first put up, and, for a time, nobody seemed disposed to lead the way. At last a start was made at £40, and on reaching £46 was knocked down to the bid of J. French, and he took advantge, of the option to secure the adjoining block. The highest-price £60 per acre, was paid by Charlie Stewart for block 3, fronting the road. Two blocks, contiguous to the river, were not disposed of at the sale. Full details are as follow: Block 1. 28a 3r 10p -F Cannon, £50 per acre Block 2. 25a or 20p.-J. Connelly,.£50 per acre. Block 3 29a 3r, 22p -Chas Stewart, £60 per acre. Block 4 21a. 3r. 28p. W L. Williams, £40 per acre. Block 5 34a 0r 26p A. Gibbs £42 per acre. Block 6. 2a 3r 32p.--Unsold. Block 7. 17 a. 1r 22p - Unsold,

• *Block 8. 26a. Ir 39p. T. Mills £45 per acre:. ... Block 9. 22a 0r. 9p. McCole Bros., £52 per acre. Block 10. 28a 3r 31p. McCole Bros., £52 per acre Block 11 20a 2r3p J French, £46 per. acre Block 12 34a 1r 36p. J. French, £ 46 per acre. Block 13 30a 1r 12p. J. French, £12 per acre Block 14. 38a 38r 28p. J. French; £42 per acre, Blocks 6 and 7 were.sold yesterday to Bert Shingles at £30 per acre.

"Eddie Mills was given a gold watch & chain by his grandfather when he was a boy but his father Jack Mills said he was too young to wear it & used it himself ( he had it when he was living with Stan Mills in Moe, but it disappeared)." from Brian

1946 census, Gippsland North: at "Swan Estate", Maffra: Edward Thomas Leslie, farmer, Ian Macauley, farmer, Joan Hannah, h/duties, Thomas Alonzo John, farmer.