This Parish Plan was kindly sent to me by my first cousin Teresa Fairbairn nee Fanning.
Lot 19b was where Big Bill had “Sunnyside” built and where he and his family lived and where his descendants still live. The other 346 acres was the land that his son John Henry inherited. It was called “Emu Flat” and the Fannings living there were called the “Flat Fannings” and those at “Sunnyside” were the “Hill Fannings”. It is interesting that even in 1856 William Patrick Fanning is listed as W.Fannan.
Historic Bulla Bridge, built 1869, crossing Deep Creek at Bulla Victoria.
Well done Kathleen! Ted Fanning helped me greatly re the history of Sunnyside and Tullamarine Island circa 1990. He had a theory that Tullamarine Island included the land north to Emu Creek. I found your map while I was writing (as itellya) a journal on FAMILY TREE CIRCLES about FOOTBALL NEAR TULLAMARINE AND BULLA, OAKLANDS AND BROADMEADOWS RESIDENTS OF 1915. I knew (from a Dillon site) that you were related to them and while searching on trove for info on some attendees of the meeting for the combined club in 1915, discovered the marriage of Elizabeth Theresa Fanning and James Gerald Fitzgerald. I have info about Guthrie and Patullo (Craigbank.) 5 986 8401.
Here’s a bit of my stuff.
TULLAMARINE ISLAND.
The part of the (Tullamarine) parish between Jacksons Creek and Deep Creek was known as Tullamarine Island. I.W.Symonds says that the aforesaid part of the Bulla-Diggers Rest road indicated the island’s northern extent but Ed. Fanning of “Sunnyside” believes that Emu Creek may have been the northern limit, thus almost surrounding the island with water. Bulla’s rates only included residents south of Sunbury Rd in the Tullamarine Island Subdivision.
As with his other subdivisions, J.P.Fawkner headed a co-operative to obtain the grant for section 10 (3,D/2), which contains Lightwood Gully and Cooper Rd. The only buyer of the 45 (at least) blocks linked to entries in the Bulla ratebook of 1882-3 was William Bedford. He was probably the William Bedford who built the swing bridge from the island to the Bulla School (possibly following the second and final closure of Tullamarine Island School 619 on 31-8- 1882). The ratebook records that Catherine Bedford had land with a nett annual value of 26 pounds. (Location shown later.)
Surprisingly absent from the buyers of section 10 lots were the Tates whose land (N.A.V. 177 pounds in 1882) probably included many of the section’s 448 acres. George Randall may have had part of the section near the famous basalt organ pipes. In “Keilor Pioneers: Dead Men Do Tell Tales” excellent detail about the Tates is presented; I will not repeat it here but I wish to refer to two points.
Firstly the family was on section 10 by at least 1859 when James was born. The second point is that their property was known from the first as Pleasant Vale, with Cooper Rd being the driveway to the homestead, according to Ed. Fanning. The “estate” which James bought at Diggers Rest after marrying Elizabeth Milburn was merely an extension of Pleasant Vale across Jacksons Creek, in McLeods Rd near the Holden school where James had been educated.
Shire of Bulla rate records indicate that among the pioneers of Tullamarine Island were: Michael Loeman (grantee of Glenloeman) the Fannings (“Sunnyside”; much detail in “Bulla Bulla” by I.W.Symonds.), Randalls, Bedfords, Junors, Grants (Craigllachie), Skews, Dugald and Margaret Stewart, Elizabeth Ramsden (leasing Glenloeman in 1902) and Malcolm Ritchie and W.D.Peter of Overpostle.
The map of “Tullamarine Island” farms on the next page has been compiled largely from information supplied by the late Bob Blackwell who was a grandson of bridge- builder Bedford. Information about Donald Junor’s “Fleetbank” came from Ed.Fanning who confirmed Bob’s locations.
Many of my journals on family tree circles might be of interest to people researching the area near Bulla, Greenvale, Broadmeadows Township and Tullamarine.
I’m sure when I go back to looking at Bulla I’ll have lots of questions to ask you. Thanks again for contributing.Kathleen
Great site. Do you know anything about the Bulla school in the 1850s?
Hi Clare, there is a paragraph in this post about the early schools.
If you find out anything interesting, that I could add to my blog, relating to the early school and its students, particularly Fannings, please let me know.
Post published Aug 26 2009.
: ” History of Bulla Australia Published 1910″.