Biographical Notes |
Note: "Florrie" was born on 30.5.1869, the Register noting "On the 30th April, at Ballarat, Victoria, Mrs Gilbert Ferguson, of a daughter." She married Jack Hay on 26.4.1905 at Congregational Church Bordertown. They lived at "Olive Grove", a property of 3,000 acres 6 miles from Bordertown. The land was first farmed by Jack's father, William Hay in 1872. He had planted olives to comply with a clause obliging him to cultivate the land. Sheep grazed amongst the olives and the main product of the property was wool. In 1876, the Premier visited the district to inspect "Olive Grove" and the Commissioner of Crown Lands referred to "a number of so-called olive plantations" which he regarded as planted only to evade the conditions of the Act, warning that lands would be forfeited if the olive growing was not bona fide. However, no action was taken and the Hays continued to grow olives and run sheep. Jack Hay inherited half the property. From 1904-10, Jack Hay was also partner with Walter Thompson in the firm of Hay and Thompson. The firm were wheat buyers, sold timber and iron and were auctioneers and commission agents for such companies as Dalgety & Co, Australian Mortgage Land & Finance, Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance and Goldsbrough Mort & Co. They purchased their business in 1904, at first using premises in DeCourcey St, Bordertown later erecting a building in Woolshed St, with a showroom, office and storeroom.
Flora did not have any children. Her nieces and nephews were invited to spend school holidays at Olive Grove. Gwen O'Sullivan recalled "We used to go to Bordertown by train and Auntie Else or Vi would meet us. We'd stay until the end of the school holidays. Auntie Florrie would take me back in her car to her sheep property called Olive Grove. The house was surrounded by beautiful olive trees because they had to be planted as part of the original land grant terms. I loved it at Olive Grove. It was a beautiful old farmhouse with a veranda right around. It had a pianola and when my sisters and I were up there we always used to play it. Auntie Florrie used to say, "that's the only time the pianola is played, when you girls come up." They also had what you call a party phone: one ring meant for somebody else; two for another family. Once we listened in and Auntie Florrie was furious. She had no children and she always used to ask me to be more affectionate with Uncle Jack because they had no children; but we weren't a very affectionate family so I couldn't be. It wasn't my nature, but he was a lovely old man."
Dinner at Olive Grove, around a long dining table, was a formal occasion. "The house had a beautiful little guest dining room where she entertained visitors, but we never went in there. We only went in the big dining room with a very big table. Uncle Jack sat at one end and carved the meat. Then the plates were passed down to the other end where Auntie Florrie sat and she served the vegetables. It was very formal. We always had to eat what was in season and mulberries were always in season when we were there. So we had them for dessert but I got rather sick of them. I used to see these beautiful fruits that Auntie Florrie had preserved in the pantry." Her nephew Jim remembers having to wear a coat to dinner. Jack Hay read the Bible, but the table was so long, those at the end had to watch to see when he was finished
Gwen also recalled, "The kitchen was off the premises and you had to cross over to get there. Behind it was room for the shearers. We always had to go home to Melbourne before the shearers came because Auntie Florrie would be very busy. Her helper was called Miss Ferguson, which was quite a coincidence. She said, "I haven't got anyone to help me," so Jean, Ila and I had to go and help in the kitchen. Now and again on a moonlight night Jean, Ila and I would ride horses 6 miles into Bordertown. Ila's horse was called Fairy and Jean rode a horse called Tom. … One day I went to the sheep property with Uncle Jack. He had a helper called Geordie, who came to Australia as part of the Little Brother Movement …Auntie Florrie loved Geordie because he was like a son to her. When he went back to Scotland he was killed, and she was very upset."
Jim Ferguson has memories of his Aunt Florrie shaking the olive branches for the chickens and turkeys. Butter was made by hand and the children allowed to help. There were almond trees as well as olive trees. The garden was large, with extensive grounds, including a rudimentary golf course that Jack made for his wife. There were cactus plants at the bottom of the garden where the children carved their initials, searching when on their next visit to see how far they had grown. The gardens played host to wildlife, including blue-tongued lizards, frill-necked lizards and rabbits.
The Hays bought a car at a time cars were not yet common. Florrie drove into Bordertown, her nephew Jim recalling that she would veer to the other side of the road to wave to friend. When sedan cars replaced earlier models, Florrie objected that she could not see the tops of the trees. They were involved in community life. Jack served as president of the Agricultural Society of the Tatiara district and judge of the Bordertown Racing Club events. Jack died in 1946 and Flora in 1951.
Flora left a detailed will, appointing her brothers Glen and Alex as executors. Most of her estate was divided between her brothers and sisters. She left a woollen rug and Britannia metal kettle to her brother Lindsay, her spare bedroom suite, silver afternoon tea jug and sugar bowl to Emma, two silver meat covers, silver sugar basin and milk jug from "The Caves" and Mr Horne's water colour drawing to Margaret, an inkstand and double feather bed mattress woollen rug to Gilbert, a Blackwood writing desk and brown fur lined kangaroo fur skin rug to Alex, a Fargo truck and a blue fur lined kangaroo skin rug to Glen and her dodge sedan, Aladdin lamp, clothing, sewing machine, tray, cut glass jug, linen, cutlery bedding and tablecloths suitcases and hat boxes to Violet and Elsie, who also inherited £1,000 each and a half share of the cedar dining room table with their brother Alex. Her house in Bordertown was left to her brother Alex for a year, then to Emma.
She remembered her nieces, leaving a diamond ring and silver entrée dishes to Edith Paech, a marquise ring to Nellie Collins, a dining room wall picture "Loves Awakening" and silver cake dish and Mrs Mackie's fruit stand to Dorothy Hunt and a silver coffee pot to Ida Thomson. She left a light lawnmower to John Virgo and suitcases and hatboxes to his wife Jessie. She left 100 shares in Federal Ltd to Margaret, wife of Hugh McFarlane Ferguson and 20 acres of land, "Fewsters", to the sons of Emma Virgo. Her cousin on her mother's side, Ruby Spicer, of Laura received £1,000.
Phillip John Virgin "now in my employ" was left £300, a Vauxhall utility and cast iron bath and the option of purchasing 456 acres after a valuation. Other bequests included a travelling trunk, brass tobacco jar, barometer, cedar chest of drawers and set of bowls to nieces and nephews on the Hay side. She made bequests ranging from £100 to £1,000 to various relatives of her husband, a friend from Mysia and the stepdaughters of the minister of the Congregational Church. The Congregational Church at Bordertown was remembered with a bequest of £300 with the income given to the wife of the Minister of the Church each Christmas and a further £50 to provide two annual prizes for the Sunday School.
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