RECORDING
OF HOUSE AND LAND SELECTION BY
G.
TOPPER 2ND
GEORGE TOPPER Born Marleybone, London. 13-4-1833 .
Served the apprenticed trade in London of Silk Hatter ( Bell
Topper ). Emigrated to Victoria 1852 in sailing ship Nepaul to an
engaged position at that trade in Melb. on arrival all employees at the
Bell Topper Hatters Shop had left and went to the Gold Rushes which had
broken out in many places. ( There being 800 single men in the ship Nepaul
nearly all attracted by the finding of Gold in Australia. ) George
Topper and shipmates 5 formed a party and went to the Ballarat diggings
per Horse & dray with all belongings, mining tools and nececities.
The party did well and from one small claim divided 7 pickle bottles of
Pure gold. ( Pickle bottle reputed to contain 40 lbs gold ) The party had
more golden claims as well, George Topper was later in a party or company
named
and it was the first engine claim on Ballarat with poor results.
George Topper afterwards purchased a team of Bullocks with drays with
other mates ( 3 teams together mostly ) and he met troopers coming up to
Ballarat from Melb. the day before the Eureka Riots 3-12-1854.
He was carting general goods between Geelong & (Pleasant Creek
) Stawel. He was returning to Geelong and was stuck up by 3 armed masked
mounted highway robbers and demanded his money by threats and also fired
3 pistol shots at him and could not hit him on account of their horses
being frisky through him whirling and using his bullock whip at them. This
occurred at Dobie's bridge. They then left him and the same day attacked
others on the roads. In about 1860 he and his mates were on the lookout
for adjoining land selections but not being successful had
to select in different parts available. In 1865 Georgy Topper selected
472 acres allot 20, 21 & 22 Parish Eurambeen ( this land ). He improved
land and built a bark hut on this site and was married in 1868 and built
a weatherboard 2 roomed house with 2 rooms with mud walls and iron roofs
and he carted most building material from Geelong by his own bullock team.
He reared a family of 5:- 2 sons George and Thomas James. 3 daughters Ann,
Susan, Bessie. 3 died in infancy and are buried North East and about
150 yards from this house there being no cemetary at that time about 1870
to 1875.
The old house erected in 1875 was pulled down and reconstructed in
1935 ( Centenary year ) by George Topper eldest son at age of 64 years
who inherited this portion of estate ( died July 15, 1910,
77 years ). This property was originally in 1865 inhabited by aboriginals
and kangaroos and opossums and native cats.
THIS DOCUMENT IS SPELT AS WRITTEN FROM THE ORIGINAL NOTES BY GEORGE
TOPPER 2ND
