Obituaries Australia

The late Mr. George Grayland, who died at the residence of his son (Mr. Frank Grayland), at Terang, on Thursday, was a Camperdown native, born at Old Timboon on December 12, 1856, and thus was in his eighty-third year.

The history of the Grayland family is an interesting one. Australia had a special lure for the more adventurous spirits of the gentry of the Old Country even as far back as 100 and more years ago. One of these was a Mr. Hamilton, who came out to the Antipodes in 1840, accompanied by two employees, one of whom was Mr. Charles Grayland, father of the late Mr. Charles J. Grayland, of Cobden, who died recently, aged 89 years, and of the late Mr George Grayland, 82 years, who as stated above, passed away last Thursday. Hamilton and his two men landed at Adelaide 99 years ago, and journeyed from there to the Goulburn Valley, in Victoria, by bullock drays. After four years Hamilton, still accompanied by Grayland and Spalls (the other man), came south, and took over Yallock station, between Garvoc and Warrnambool, from a man named Brown.

After seven years farming wheat, oats and potatoes on this property they ran into Black Thursday (February 6, 1851), probably the worst experience of its kind ever known in Australia. With bush fires all over Victoria, great loss of life eventuated. Next year Grayland shifted to Old Timboon, where several of his family were born, including Mr. George Grayland.

The late Mr. George Grayland did his early schooling at the Camperdown school, having to tramp the distance of two miles each way, when only six years of age, and finished his education at the Dixie school, to where the family had gone to live. The Graylands marked another stone in their life's history, when 74 years ago they went to Cobden, or Lovely Banks as it was then known, and started dairying at "Muryon," a dairy on Dr. Curdie's property. Cheese-making and breeding Berkshire pigs was the principal calling, and shooting kangaroos and other game the favourite sport.

When Mr. George Grayland reached manhood he changed from dairying to bullock driving. He bought ten span of bullocks at a cost of £150 and securing a waggon, went in for log-hauling in the Heytesbury forest for Messrs. McCree and Fullarton, who had a timber yard at the rear of the present Union Bank, in Camperdown. Afterwards he travelled all over Victoria, including Gippsland, with his bullocks.

For several years past Mr. Grayland had lived a retired life in Camperdown, and was a constant attender of the sale rings where he had an afternoon of handshaking with country friends and others. His wife pre-deceased him.

They had a family of four sons and four daughters, the latter being the late Mrs. Wm. Axford (Camperdown), Mrs. Beard (Terang), Mrs. C. McGillivray (Melbourne) and Mrs. L. Roberts (N.S.W.). Three of the four sons went to the Great War. Stanley, a Gallipoli veteran, returned, but Leslie and Charles paid the supreme sacrifice on the fields of France. The fourth son, Frank, is a resident of Terang.