Shep's Place Family Tree

By 1862 the Academy was greatly enlarged and 150 scholars attended. Their holidays were three weeks in summer, one in winter. By this date there were so many boarders numbers slept in the ceiling. The horses of the day scholars grazed behind the master's cottage, amongst them Ernest's, no doubt.

With several brothers close on his heels Ernest would have left about this time, as he was 15. He was plunged into farming at "Westbrook Farm", with older brother Allen Frederick. The first independent farming away from home was with Allen F. at leased land between Monarto and Callington which are about 3 miles apart resulting in their land being described as at both those places. In 1874 the directory had Allen F. at Yorketown, on Yorke Peninsula and Ernest was still working with him and remained until 1880 when he leased Crown Land in the north, at Carrieton, in the Hundred of Eurilpa, 182 miles from Adelaide. It was the centre of a fertile wheat growing district. His sister Marion later joined him as housekeeper until her marriage in November 1886, to C.P. Lakeman. Ernest was often spoken of as at Eurilpa rather than Carrieton which was the county town of Granville, and the central town of the locality. His name next showed up as at Caltowie where some of the family of his friend John Black Kerr also of Eurilpa, were farming. His name remained as at Caltowie until 1909, but his property "Yangylea", was at Jamestown as to his address, 8 miles away. It was probably halfway between the two, both approximately 128 miles north of Adelaide. Marriage came next, but his land at Jamestown, from the Lands Titles Department must have been obtained about the same time. He had Sections 212 ‎(133 acres)‎, 213 ‎(187 acres)‎ and 214 and 215 are recorded minus acreage, but in all approximately 650 acres, Although resident there by 1888 payment for the land was not completed until 25 Apr 1894. He sold on 19 Apr 1910 to Michael James Meany of Harnsdale, farmer on transfer no. 280412, from Volume 452, Folio 548. The Meany family remained until 7 Apr 1971. The next owner was a Peter James William of Jamestown on 26 Nov 1973.

It was at Jamestown that the Lakemans stayed with the Ernest Wilsons and the usual practice was to write to say this or that one would arrive on a certain train without having to wait for a formal invitation, the same applied to the Allen F. family. On one such occasion Violet arrived after dark at Jamestown and nobody had come to collect her. The station master, closing up, saw the plight of this forlorn teenager and took her to a woman nearby in the town who was noted for her hospitality. Next morning, trudging on foot on the dusty road toward the farm which was some miles away toward Caltowie, she saw her relatives approaching in horse and buggy to collect their mail, including the week old letter announcing Violet's arrival. Everyone was most amused except Violet. The three boy cousins were popular with the Lakemans and always helped to make their visits to "Yangylea" enjoyable so they were sorry when Ernest decided after 23 years at Jamestown to sell and move interstate as had his brother-in-law Archie Kerr.

The family left South Australia in 1910. Both Mordialoc and Trundle N.S.W. were spoken of and it must be concluded that the Trundle farm was named "Mordialoc". going by the newspaper death notice of Ernest in the Sydney Morning Herald of Friday 6 Feb 1914. It gave that he died at Nurse Rotherham's Private Hospital, Spit Road, Mosman also that he was "late of Jamestown, S.A. and Mordialoc, Trundle, N.S.W. S.A. papers please copy."

Ernest and Georgina had retired from Trundle to "New Haven", Elfrieda Street, Mosman, earlier than most farmers of the period as he was 66 at his death. The house was purchased by his brother-in-law Archie Kerr formerly of S.A. who had been at Yass, N.S.W. for several years and was given to his daughter "Fleckie". It is thought that Georgina lived with her sons until her death in 1931. Her address at this time was 5 Justus Street, Bondi North, late of Mosman ‎(Sydney)‎. The three sons were all disinclined to farming. All were in clerical positions at Sydney.