Myrniong – buzzing with excitement – welcome to another year

Welcome to the New Year – 2024.

We will look back to interesting and inspiring accounts of people who shaped our community and paved the way for the fortunate life we experience today.

As we gear up for the new year with freshly sharpened pencils (and maybe a carving knife or two), let's take a stroll down memory lane, precisely 160 years back to 1864. Imagine Myrniong, or as it was fondly called, "Blow's Flat," buzzing with excitement. The talk of the town was The Plough Hotel and Store, considered to be the most valuable location for business in the town, and a fancy "first-class farm" that included 60 fruit trees – all up for grabs as an unreserved sale!

The sale was offered by the savvy Mr. Alfred Smith, who strategically claimed land at both entrances to the township, and his business partner, Mr. Charles Marden. The reason for the sale? These two fellows were bidding farewell to the district and going their separate ways.

This was just the start of a long and successful business at The Plough Hotel in Myrniong.

This week we open our doors for another year – the 15th year that Mark Mills has been custodian of this fine and historic venture, with his passion for delivering colourful hospitality grows every year.

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Thomas Ryan, 1866

Here we are in September 1866 Mr Thomas Ryan, 35 years old and the current licensee of The Plough Inn Hotel since 1865. He married his bride, Mary Meehan, 4 years later. They purchased Mr Burke’s store, hotel (The Plough Inn Hotel) and adjoining land. Two years later, the Ryan’s first child was born – Michael. Sadly, Michael passed away in October of that same year, aged nine months. In early 1872, the Ryans welcomed another child to their family – Thomas Jnr (more on Junior next week...) Thomas Ryan (Senior) was considered an “old resident” of Myrniong, but not in the chronological sense! He was a fundamental contributor to the establishment of this new and thriving township. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1868 after much contention due to his Irish hereditary and all that this implied politically. He participated in Coroner Inquests for the region, was a member of the Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Roads Board (a pre-cursor to the local Council), member of the Myrniong Mechanics I

Martin Deveny Part 1 – Martin Senior

Martin Deveny came to Pentland Hills as a 41-year-old after a full and adventurous life in England. After serving in the military for over 17 years as a Private in the 88th Infantry he married Mary Cannon in 1854. Their first son, Patrick, arrived in mid-1856. Early the following year, the family headed to Australia for the 3-month journey, boarding the “Anne Roydon”. They landed in Melbourne in April 1857 and shortly after arrived in Pentland Hills. Martin quickly made connections with the locals, renting land from Robert Lawson before acquiring pastures of his own. He purchased many hundreds of fenced acres in Blackwood and Pentland Hills, as well as acres for the family homes. The family home was eventually settled at “Churchbank” which is still present today, located at what was referred to as “Deveny’s Corner”. Once settled in Pentland Hills, Martin and Mary added another eight children, including one set of twins – their last child being born when Martin was 62 years of age. This

The Dore sisters saga - Part 3

Last week, our focus shifted to Mary Dore, the second of the Dore sisters, who entered into matrimony with Peter McCluskey, an early Myrniong farmer loaded with idiosyncrasies. In this week’s narrative, we delve further into the accounts of history. Peter McCluskey resettled on his farm at Rosehill, Myrniong, dedicating his efforts to raising shorn ewes and lambs for market. Alongside him stood his brother-in-law, William Dunbar Snr. Peter sold his fenced and improved acreage in the celebrated Pentland Hills, advertised as a parcel of land renowned as the “finest agricultural expanse in the colony”. Yet, the tides of fate took a sudden turn in March 1881, as Peter McCluskey faced the grievous charge of Bigamy—a transgression both unforgivable and typically avoidable, entailing the simultaneous marriage to two individuals. He was arrested by the Bacchus Marsh AND Myrniong police, securing his bail release with a sum totaling £300 along with a further two sureties amounting to £100 each.

Let's dish up some history from The Plough

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