GUNN FAMILY
George Gunn was born 25 Aug 1825 in Doll, Clyne, Sutherland, Scotland. He was the fourth of seven children of William Gunn (1791-1862) and Ann Melville (1799-1879), a family of agricultural labourers and crofters.George married Elizabeth Munro in Clyne on 27 Dec 1853. They emigrated to Victoria on the Conway, arriving 17th June 1854.
Their first child, Isabella was
born in Geelong in 1855 but did not survive infancy. They had six other
children: William George (1857-1939), Margaret (1860-1938), Alexandrina
Margaret (1861-1878), Charles (1861-1938), John (1863-1941) and Angus
(1866-1942).
George
and Elizabeth selected two blocks of Crown Land at the southern end of the
Dixons Creek -Toolangi Road.
Prior
to June 1875 Charles and John attended the Healesville school. Then, together
with Angus, they were amongst the first students to be enrolled at the new
Dixons Creek school which opened that month. Alexandrina
died from consumption 1 Sep 1878 aged 19. Margaret married Edmund Norman in
1885. Charles, John and Angus are said to have been among the founders of the
Yarra Glen Racing Club.
George
Gunn died in May 1885 as the result of an accident. He was said to have been
coming home from the hotel drunk one night and his horse reached home without
him. His sons found him lying in or near a culvert with a broken neck,
apparently having been thrown from the horse.
Elizabeth died in 1918. George,
Elizabeth and Alexandrina are buried in the Yarra Glen Cemetery.
John and Angus never married and lived in Dixons
Creek until 1941/42. Mrs F. Maria Taylor wrote in "Daughters
of Dixons Creek" that they lived in a tiny cottage and were overseers on a
sheep property.
