Thomas Stone (1824-1914)
The first of the farmers was Thomas Stone who assisted his father at “Horfield” with the help of his brother Joseph (1826-1890) until their father’s death in 1862. Joseph and his family then moved to Victoria in 1863.
Thomas continued to manage the property at Green Ponds which had been leased from John Swan and then his son Charles Swan since 1836 when the family had left the Orphan School.
This arrangement ended in 1902 when the property was taken over by a member of the Swan family. Thomas, by now aged 79 moved to Victoria to live at “Woodlands”, Woodstock West with his brother Alfred.
Edward Stone (1830-1905)
Edward and his brother Joseph were among the hundreds of people who sailed from Tasmania in 1849 to seek their fortune on the Californian Goldfields. After some success they returned to Australia in 1851 and made their way to the Victorian Goldfields, where they were joined by William and Alfred.
Late in 1852 Joseph and William returned to Tasmania when the latter became ill and by 1853 Edward and Alfred decided that they would make a better living market gardening and farming. They purchased forty acres at Lockwood, eight miles from Bendigo in 1854 and established a successful market garden and orchard.
This then led to the purchase of land at Laanecoorie in 1857 and the establishment of “The Delta”, a property which still remains in the family to this day.
Arthur Lenin Rose (1920-1994 )
Arthur Lenin Rose was born in the Wimmera district of Beaulah in 1920. He worked initially as a farm-labourer and later went share-farming in Murra Warra, near Dimboola.
During this period on the 14 July 1942 Arthur Lenin Rose enlisted at Horsham in the armies 1 Armd Regt (VX113258). He served in Australia and Papua New Guinea finishing his service on the 18th Dec 1945. Arthur then returned to share-farming at Murra Warra.
In approximately 1956 Arthur applied for a Soldier Settlement block. He looked at several properties and was successful in obtaining a block in the Western District which had initially been part of the vast 45,700 acres Mt Hesse estate. Along with other soldier settlers, Arthur went down ahead of his family and built the boundary fences where needed and lived in a garage for some time. He wisely moved the house peg positioned at a low point to higher ground.
In time wife Lorna and children Artie, Ron and Dawn joined him, living for a time in the garage until the house, shearing shed, and dairy was built. Arthur and his family ran a mixed farming enterprise of sheep, cows and some cereal crops. In the late 1960s, Arthur and Lorna purchased a home in Winchelsea but continued to farm while his eldest son continued to live in the original house.
The farm sold in three parts in 1988. Two parcels to neighbouring soldier settlement farmers, the remaining 100 acres with the house to Arthur’s son Ron and wife Pauline. Ron kept the property until 2002 when he retired to Gippsland to be near family.
Natalie Jane Rose
