THE DOUTHAT FAMILY
Researched by Lynne Douthat from family letters, interviews and the Public Records Office, Melbourne, 1988
“William Bowen Douthat was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1817. In 1848 he married a Spanish girl named Isabel Maria Fieri. Their son, Emanuel William was born in Vigo, a fishing village and port on the Spanish coast, in 1850.
On 10th August, 1852 four members of the Douthat family embarked on the ship ‘Winchester’ as unassisted migrants, bound for Port Phillip, Australia. All members of the family were recorded as ‘British’ on the ship’s passenger list.
William Bowen Douthat Age 36 Gentleman
Isabel Douthat 30
(Emanuel) William Douthat 2
Jedidiah S. Douthat 42 Gentleman (cousin of William Snr.)
The ‘Winchester’, captained by James Curry, took five months and ten days to complete its journey. The ship, with 152 passengers and crew, arrived at Port Phillip on the 20th January, 1 85 3.
The family settled in Melbourne for a time, where William and his cousin Jedidiah set up a hide and wool merchants’ business, Douthat & Co.’. In 1854, a second child, Robert Henry, was born in Melbourne. By 1855 William, Isabel and their two sons had left Melboume for the goldfields. Jedidiah went into partnership as a general merchant with Emanuel Lopes continuing at the same address in Melbourne.
Jedidiah had come to Australia as a widower. His young son had been left behind in Lisbon, but came to Australia in 1858 at the age of thirteen on the ship Magi, presumably to join his father. In 1863 Jed. married Elizabeth Varty who was born in Cumberland in 1848. Elizabeth worked as a housekeeper at Schnapper Point near Mornington. The marriage did not last for very long. Elizabeth married Frederich Sonnenberg in 1 8 81 and stated on the marriage certificate that she had ’neither seen nor heard from her previous husband for eleven years’. So she married Frederich without a divorce or knowing if Jed. was dead or alive. It seemed that Jed just disappeared. William, his son, was listed in a postal directory as being a dairyman in the Footscray area in the early 1860’s, but no other information is known of his whereabouts. The hide and wool merchant business reverted to Lopes who continued at the same address with a ‘Marine Dealer’ business.
William and Isabel first came to the Victorian goldfields as suppliers of goods to the miners, but like many other families who followed the rushes they settled on small holdings and became self-supporting. Not long after their arrival at Jones’; Creek, their third child Emily was born in 1856. William, Isabel and the three children lived on about an acre of land commonly called ’the island piece’, because it was almost surrounded by the Waanyarra Creek. This portion of Crown land is situated behind where the remains of Bohwen Douthat’s house stands today. The house on the ’island’, by all accounts was a long slab and mud construction. The roof was made from shingles. A feature which many people remember about the house was the ‘Seven Sister’ climbing rose which grew over much of the roof and around the doorway. The rose flowered in clusters of creamy-yellow blooms.
William and Isabel planted many fruit trees along the banks of the creek, some of the trees still bear fruit. The medlars, figs, grapes, plums, apricots, pears and apples do not bear as well as they did in the early days. But many people still come there for their annual taste of mulberries and quinces. These old trees are known to produce well each season. Following generations of Douthats continued producing food and gardening, in general, and from onions to orchids their reputation for growing things is faultless.
William Bowen Douthat (born 1817, died 1891)
and Isabel Maria Fieri (born 1822, died 1906)
Their family:-
Emanuel William born Vigo Spain 1850, died 1903 m Mary Arm Cogswell, 1881
Robert Henry born Melbourne 1854, died 1908 m Margaret Wilshusen 1890
Emily born Jones’ Creek 1856 m Haistead, no other information.
Richard born Jones’ Creek 1857, not married, died Orbost
Thomas born Jones’ Creek 1861, not married, no other information
Isabella born Jones’ Creek 1866, no other information.
There were also at least two children who died in infancy.
Emanuel William and Mary Ann Cogswell Issue:
William married Mary Ellen Cassidy then Jane Kimpton
Bohwen married Sarah Ann Thorp then Emma Jane Lockett
Mildred Ann not married
Emanuel James, married Mary Lenon
Isabel died in infancy
Elsie Vera married Henderson then Sinclair
Robert Henry not married
Lesley no information
Alver not married
Harold Edward married?
James married?
| Mary Ann's Obituary |
Death of Mrs. Douthat
Tarnaguila Courier - 16th July, 1904
The news of the death of Mrs. Douthat widow of the late Manuel Douthat of Waanyarra was received with unfeigned regret on Tuesday morning. The deceased lady had been suffering for some time from an internal complaint and had been attended to by Dr. Wolfenden but he soon found out that her case was beyond the aid of human skill and she passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Mrs. Douthat was a native of Jones’ Creek, and was much liked by all who knew her. She was 47 years of age. Mrs. Douthat leaves a family of three sons and one daughter who mourn the loss of a loving mother, who have the sympathy of the whole district.
The funeral took place at Tarnagulla cemetery on Sunday and the cortege was a long one. The Reverend George Hollow read the Church of England burial service at the grave and Mr. Roper carried out the funeral arrangements with his usual ability.
The Memories of Mildred Miles (nee Douthat)
"I was born in the family home at Waanyarra. My brother Dick, sisters Mary, Sally and Isabel were also born there. ‘Gran’ Strahan, a midwife and neighbour brought us all into the world. Brother Raymond was born years later at Dunolly.
When I was very young Dad took the family to Koondrook to live for about two years. Uncle Bill had an orange grove there and Dad went to help him. Dad let the Indian Hawker, Meer Khan into our house to look after it while we were away. When it was time to come back to Waanyarra, Dad came ahead on his bike to get everything ready for our return. On arrival, he found that Meer Khan had kept fowls in the bedrooms. We had to stay in Dunolly until the house was fit to live in again. We stayed in a two storey place behind Stafford’s shop. I was school age when we returned from Koondrook.
Waanyarra school had a picnic each year. People from other places came along and joined in with us. Our mother made large batches of scones, dozens of ‘snow balls’ and many other good things to eat for the picnics. Dad made cream puffs, he was expert at making them. Some of the shops in Bendigo, where the Waanyarra people had mail orders, sent boxes of fruit, lollies and small gifts for the prizes. Pat Daly and Alan Cairns, who had stores in Dunolly and delivered to Waanyarra, also donated many things for the picnics. Ison the butcher from Tarnagulla, who came out to Waanyarra with the meat chopping-cart, donated meat for the sandwiches, and Bill Davenport gave the bread. Reid’s store also gave many things for the prizes. The mothers would make buckets of raspberry and limejuice for the thirsty kids.
At the school picnics Nell Morton and I always paired up for the double-sack race and the Siamese race. We lived near each other and practised for the races together. We spent a lot of time with each other. We started school the same year and sat for our sixth grade exam and our Merit exam together.
Sunday night was visiting night at our place for the girls who were our friends. We took turns in going to each other’s places, Scholes’, Morton’s, Sturni’s, Lockett’s homes each Sunday. Mum encouraged us to bring our friends home, it was always open house at our place.
Each Guy Fawkes night we had a big bonfire at Waanyarra. Most times the bonfire was in our paddock, all the men helped to build the huge pile of wood and rubbish to burn on the night. Potatoes and onions were cooked in the fire and there was always plenty of fire-works.
Grandma Thorp used to save up old bones and fat to sell to the soap works (Peters) in Dunolly, to get money for fire-works for us kids. She was a wonderful grandmother, one of the best.
During the 1930’s Depression Dad gave the miners vegetables and milk. The men would sit out on our tank stand and listen to the cricket on our wireless, one of the first in Waanyarra. Mum gave the men drinks of home made hop beer.
Ed. Scholes was the first to have a car at Waanyarra, and we would go for rides with Nell Scholes. Vera Bool, our School teacher had a single-seater car. We would take it in turns to walk along the track to meet her and get a ride back to school.
A dance and cards were held at the school once a month. At a very early age we were taken along and taught to dance by our Uncles, Ted and Dick Thorp. When we got older we would hang lighted lanterns in Morton’s hotel and teach other people to dance. My brother Dick played. the accordion and the mouth organ at the dances. Isobel and I were allowed along because our brother was there. We’d ride our bikes to the dances, except when we were taken there by "Icksey" Arthur Jones on his truck.
Waanyarra had a cricket team. We travelled to different places with the team on Icksey Jones’ truck. The girls and young married women would sometimes play the men at cricket, and sometimes the girls would win.
Our Great Grandparents, Cogswells, had a mixed shop at Waanyarra. When we were kids the remains of the shop were still there and we used to bring home trinkets and fans. Our mother forbade us to go there as she was afraid there might be dangerous poison about. But by the next week we’d be back there hunting around in the odds and ends.
After I was married my husband Ern. and I would take our children out to Dads at Waanyarra to stay so they could live some of the lifestyle we had as youngsters.
Those were the good days when we were all together.”
Dick Douthat looks back
Eldest child of Bohwen & Sarah (nee Thorp)
“We as kids never thought to ask about our family, but by the way the garden was set out around our place at Waanyarra, 1 think our ancestors must have known about growing things.
There was an elaborate system for watering the many varieties of fruit trees and vegetables that were growing on the place. We had no pumps in those days. By excavating the land to create a ’fall’ from the dams, and with a number of pipes layed underground, the trees and vegetables were efficiently watered. When it rained, Dad would go out wearing his oilskin coat and check to see that all the gutters in the dams were clear. We relied mostly on the dams for our water. But there was a spring or well which supplied water when it was a dry season and when the dams were getting low the well was fed by an underground stream, it was about six foot down to the gravel bottom. We would have to dig down and clean it out when we wanted to use it. Many people got their drinking water from that well during the dry seasons. Mum’s flower garden was watered from the creek. We had a guttering system rigged up to lead from the creek to the garden. By bucketing the water into the guttering, the water would run to the garden some fifty yards away. Mum had all kinds of flowers in her garden including opium poppies, which were in those days considered by us to be just ’pretty flowers’. I suppose the Chinese gave our family the seed in the first place because the flowers had always been there from the early gold days.
I went to school at Waanyarra and for a time at Koondrook when my parents went there to help Dad’s brother, Bill Douthat, grow tomatoes for the Melbourne market. School work at Waanyarra was no trouble to me with Miss Vera Bool as my teacher. Miss Bool was one of the best teachers who could have been around as far as I was concerned. I liked all the work we did at school, I got my Merit Certificate at Waanyarra.
We had a little dam at the school and a vegetable plot and just below it was a pine tree which is still there. An unusual shrub, which us kids called a ’Snotty Gobble’, grew near to the school. It had fruit on it about the size and shape of a ’Jelly-bean’. We’d squeeze its ripe fruit and eat the jelly-like flesh inside. There were many other things we’d eat from the bush, cranberries and geebungs but I never saw another ’Snotty Gobble’ in all my wanderings about the bush.
I went all through that bush around Waanyarra as a youngster chasing foxes and Starry Taylor’s, goats with the dogs. The dogs never caught the goats because they were too cunning and ran high up onto the rocky ridges where the dogs would not dare to go.
1 used to play the mouth organ but would have loved to play the concertina. The first time I played the piano accordion was one weekend we went over to Uncle Emanuel’s house at Long Gully. We went to Greys’ who lived nearby and they had an accordion. I grabbed hold of it and found I could get a tune out of it, so I bought one, I think I was in my early teens then.
I played at the dances at Waanyarra, barn dances, waltzes and foxtrots, anything people would dance to but would go to the dances at Tarnagulla on most Saturday nights and would play cards instead of dancing.
Nearly every family around was self sufficient. We had a cow to milk, chooks for eating and eggs and of course, all our lovely fresh vegetables. The baker, butcher and grocer called regularly. We hardly had to leave the place.
One story 1 remember my father telling me was about the time he caught a 21 pound cod in the dam. It must have been there a long time to grow so big, he seemed to think it was put there by his grandfather.”
Richard (Son of Dick) Recalls
“The strongest memories I have of my grandfather, Bohwen Douthat at Waanyarra are of going fishing in his flat bottomed, corrugated iron boat. We fished at Anchor’s Bridge mostly, and always, we got fish. We caught red fin and measured our catches in bags full.
We lived at Bohwen’s for a while in the 1950’s when my father was ill. I remember the lovely glass kerosene lanterns in his house, there was nice furniture in the main front room and the walls and ceiling were lined with timber. There was no electricity and we used the lanterns or candles for lighting.
My brother, Max, and I did our school work on the front verandah, where Mum had set up some forms from the old Waanyarra school, and a table each on which to do our work. I’d do about two hours school work and then go off with the ferrets to catch some rabbits. Once, when I was rabbiting, I fell down an old digger’s hole and when I looked up there was a snake about one foot from my face.
We went out at night to neighbours’ houses to play cards, I remember going to Pearce’s. My grandfather had a crystal radio-set and a battery run radio. There were dances to go to, my father, Dick, played the piano accordion at most of the dances at Waanyarra. I used to collect beer bottles with my Uncle Ray there, he had a huge stack of bottles he’d picked up at these dances.
We also spent a lot of our holidays at Waanyarra. Mum had a 1934 Plymouth car, Max and I used to sit in the back on the blankets and clothes, our sister and my twin, Barbara, sat in the front seat because she got car sick. Once, on the way to Waanyarra we stopped and bought some pies. That was like Christmas for us, because Dad never stopped except for spa water at Kyneton, and he never bought things to eat. The pies were lovely until one of us discovered they were full of maggots.
Grandfather Bohwen Douthat at Waanyarra
By Grandson Max Douthat
“I don’t remember a time when the name ‘Waanyarra’ was not mentioned regularly in our house in Melbourne. Many holidays were spent at Waanyarra with my grandfather (Poppa) on his farm.
It was an epic voyage to Waanyarra in the family’s 1934 Plymouth tourer, taking around three hours without a stop for fuel, food or personal comfort. However, it was always exciting, as at the end there were holidays out in the bush where one could do almost anything without getting into trouble.
My grandfather presented an image to me of a strong, self-reliant man who got on well with his neighbours, but disliked visitors and shunned modern contraptions. 1 remember once travelling to Maryborough in the Plymouth, with my father driving. 1 noticed Poppa sitting rigid in the passenger seat with his feet planted firmly on the floor looking as though we were travelling at 100 mph. and about to crash. In reality the old Plymouth very rarely reached speeds over 45 mph. Poppa was not used to travelling at ‘high speeds’ as he only had a bike for transport.
One picture which is firmly imprinted in my memory is of the time Poppa and us kids were driving sheep down the road in front of the farm. We were supposed to be helping him herd the sheep into the front paddock. We did not know that sheep would not understand that they were supposed to go through the first gate instead of the second one. But Poppa let us know in no uncertain terms as he yelled at us poor, useless city kids.
I also remember the time I saw the tough side of my Grandfather. He caught us kids annoying the bull down at Williams’, by pawing the ground outside the fence. We were not aware that if the bull wanted to get at us a couple of rusty old wires would not deter him. Luckily Poppa came to our rescue. He gave us a tongue lashing which frightened us more than the thought of being chased by an enraged bull.
Most of our visits to Waanyarra, except for the long time we stayed when Dad got sick, were for long weekends or Easter and occasionally we visited over the Christmas period. I remember many a hot night with us three kids in the double bed listening to the mosquitos as they searched for an exposed area of skin in which to sink their suckers.
Fishing, rabbiting and wood gathering seemed to occupy a major part of the holidays. It appeared to me as a kid that living in the country was much cheaper than living in the city, where everything cost money. I remember a good day’s fishing I had, not in the river or Laanecoorie Weir but in Poppa’s dam down near the front gate. We were ready to head off to Laanecoorie but Dad got sick so we could not go. So I thought I would go down to the dam to practise my spinning. To my great surprise I caught a fish on my first cast. After about an hour I’d caught a dozen good sized fish which were proudly photographed for a permanent record of my success.
There always seemed to be an abundance of vegetables in Poppa’s garden, and various fruits on the numerous trees which had been planted by the early settlers. At the right time of the year one could have a feast of fruits ranging from quinces to mulberries to plums to persimmons. Once I filled up on red currants and not being able to make it back to the house to satisfy the call of nature, I was very embarrassed on my return to my parents.
Entertainment seemed simple but adequate at Waanyarra and many a night was spent visiting neighbours to play cards or listen to the radio. Dad used to play the accordion at the dances and parties and it always seemed much appreciated.
After I got married and had kids of my own it just seemed natural that as much time as we could spare was spent at Waanyarra, where our kids did the same things we used to do but with a little more sophistication.
We still visit Waanyarra regularly even though we have built a home at Murphies Creek. There is just something about Waanyarra which makes me feel good to know that I am part of the history of such an unique area of Victoria.”
William Emanuel James Douthat
Son of William & Mary Ellen (nee Cassidy)
“We left Waanyarra when I was only young and came to live at Koondrook but often I would travel back to Waanyarra with Dad’s brother, Uncle Manuel in his gig. The gig was a beautiful contraption with red wheels. His horse was a lovely bay mare. She was kept in top condition and was one of the ‘flashest’ around the district. We’d leave Koondrook early in the morning and just jog along, we’d get to Waanyarra in a day.
My mother was Mary Ellen Cassidy from Waanyarra. My father was William Douthat, the eldest son of Emanuel William Douthat and Mary Ann Cogswell. I had a brother named John Richard and my sister’s name is Mary Eliza. We have a half brother named Douglas from Dad’s marriage to Jane Kimpton.
I saw my father as a hard man who expected every bit of work out of us he could get. My mother was a great friend to me, we got on well together and were very close. 1 married my wife Winnie (Eva Winifred Grigg) and had two sons Neville and Alan, and a daughter June.”
Isabel died in infancy
Elsie Vera married Henderson then Sinclair
Robert Henry not married
Lesley no information
Alver not married
Harold Edward married?
James married?
Elsie Vera Douthat (Henderson/Sinclair)
From letters written in 1985 to Milly Miles and Lynne Douthat
(Elsie) Vera, born 1.11.1900, died Corryong, 1986
“I was born at Nuggetty Flat in 1900. My father’s name was Robert Douthat, he married Margaret Wilshusen. The Wilshusens lived near us at Nuggetty Flat. They were a very large family. My grandfather Hinerich Wilshusen had a bit of land and built a dam. He also had a beautiful vegetable garden and grew wheat.
Old Bill Gibbs, an Englishman, Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Sturni, Peter and Andrew, two Italians and the Wilshusens were part of the little settlement around us.
Old Bill Gibbs’ house was built from mud bricks he had made himself. My father built our house with two rooms of mud brick. Dad prospected for gold in the Winter months and drove a traction engine in the Summer, he died penniless in 1908. He met with an accident when he was 52. A limb of a tree hit him in the stomach, the injury eventually turned to cancer and he died. My youngest brother was only one month old. Dad was buried at Tarnagulla Cemetery.
I was told that my father had a brother who was a doctor. He lived at Waanyarra in the old place made of split rails. The story goes that he went down to the gate for something and was bitten by a snake. He didn’t treat the bite until he got back to the house, but it was too late. He went to sleep at this time each day but on this day he did not wake up. I don’t remember what his name was. My father also had a sister who lived in Fiji, she married a man named Halstead.
Dad’s mother was Spanish. She died at our place in 1906, I can remember her because Mum looked after her, but I can’t remember Dad’s father.
There were seven children in our family, two girls and five boys. My sister, Mum’s first child died of thrush. My two eldest brothers were named Robert (Bert) and Les, then there is Alver, Harry and James, those three live around Orbost.
I have been married twice and have two sons from my first marriage. Tom and Dick Henderson. Both my husbands are dead.”
Harry Edward Douthat
Son of Robert and Margaret (nee Wilshusen)
from a letter written in 1987
“I was born in Hargreaves Street, Golden Square, but left there when I was two years old. My father’s name was Robert Douthat and my mother was Margaret Wilshusen of Nuggetty Flat. My father worked on the steam engines around Tarnagulla.
After my father died in 1908 my mother married a man named Yelland. We had seven children in our family and Mum had two more sons when she married George Yelland. Mum went to live in Corryong, my sister Vera went to live there too. Mum, Vera and my half-brother George died at Corryong, my other half brother Charlie still lives there, he is 77.
My brother Alver and I are the only ones of our family still alive, brother Jim died in Orbost last year. Vera was 85 when she died and Mum was 92.
I have two daughters and one son from my first marriage, my son died when I was in New Guinea during the war. I have a son from my second marriage, he is living in Western Australia. My brother Alver lost his arm whilst serving in the Second World War.”
Alver Douthat
Born 1904.
From a letter written in 1985
“I was four years old when my father, Robert Douthat died of cancer. We were burnt out at Nuggetty Flat in about 1910 and went to Melbourne. I was about 6 or 7 years old. My brother Bert and our uncle Dick (Dad’s brother) and I went to Orbost when I was 13. They were cutting girders at Mt. Buck, nine miles from Orbost. My brother Les spent a lot of time in Fiji, we had some family there. My brother Bert died at the Caulfield Repatriation Hospital from the effects of gas and uncle Dick died of cancer in Orbost.
I came to this place on the 13th July, 1943 after the War. The place would not run one head of cattle then, but now I have over 50. I have worked hard to improve this place, I had to fence it all.”
“Alver Douthat first stepped on to his wet and lonely Gippsland mountain 42 years ago.
It was a test of his independence - a test he has never failed. Douthat, 8 1, has treasured that independence ever since his left arm was blown off in World War 2 by a Japanese grenade.
Within a year, the former timber cutter from Tarnagulla had retired to a mountaintop farm up a timber-getters’ track from Orbost. In almost perfect solitude, he set to work. He put up fences, tended his 40 cattle, learned to cook, chopped wood, and mastered the chainsaw with just one arm. He spread superphosphate over his rugged 56 ha property by slinging the bag around his neck and tossing the powder out by hand, while he clambered over terrain too steep for a tractor. He even built himself a shed.
“ I just stood the nails up and hit them before they fell over,” the tall recluse said, his rugged face in a smile. “But it’s been a hard life,” he admitted as a Gippsland drizzle started to wet his shambling two-room cottage. Sometimes six months go by without a visitor. “But you get used to anything,” he said.
Besides, in 1943, there was no other work for him. “When you’ve only got one arm, they won’t look at you. Besides, I didn’t have the education for a desk job,” he said. What has helped him survive his test was a book a man once lent him, when he was driving cabs in Brisbane in the 1930s. ‘Personal Power’ it was called, and Douthat has spent much of his quiet hours memorising pages of it
“Nothing is hopeless until it has been thoroughly attempted,” he quoted solemnly. He likes to prove it by peeling an orange with one hand, or showing how he can cut his fingernails.
Douthat, now with a disability pension, could leave his lonely hilltop with its broad and beautiful views of forest and sea, and move to Orbost or Melbourne. ‘But I’m not leaving. If I didn’t work, I’d be dead by now,’ he said.”
Reprinted courtesy The Herald, Melbourne. October 4th, 1985.
Impressions of the ‘Old Place’—Douthats—Waanyarra
By Sally Gourley (nee Douthat) daughter of Bohwen & Sarah Ann (nee Thorp)
“Dad never talked much about his family, so we never knew much about our grandparents. But Granny Thorp, Mum’s mother, used to tell us about the ‘Spanish Lady’ (our Grandmother Douthat) who once lived on the round shaped piece of land over the creek. I suppose that was where the family lived when they first came out from Spain. Granny told us that the ’Spanish Lady’ would come out of her house waving her arms and talking and yelling in her ‘own lingo’. “You didn’t know what she was saying, but you’d know she was going crook”, Granny said.
Part of the old house was still there when we were kids. There was an old yellow rose creeping over one wall but Dad wanted to plant some vegetables on the ‘island’ so he pulled down the remaining wall of the house and ploughed in the rose. Unfortunately, we did not take a cutting of the rose.
There was a bridge’ made of large slabs of timber taken from a huge tree which grew on the banks of the creek. When the tree was felled it formed part of the bridge crossing. The ‘old people’ planted the fruit trees which still grow along the creek today.”
