George Allitt

by Leslie Allitt

It is difficult for me to make a start on the early history of our family, because other than what my Uncle Tom Allitt, who then lived at 45 Durant St., Brighton told me when I was quite a young man, and from an extract in the Family Bible of William and Elizabeth Allitt (which is in my possession) and an extract from Noel F Learmonths Book, ÒFour Towns and a Survey and a copy of a letter supplied to me and written by JH Willis (Director and Government Botanist of the Ro

yal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne) dated 12/12/1970, on the life of William Allitt, I have very little to go on.

My Uncle Tom told me that he and his brother George, my father, were the children of Charles and Mary Ann Blake, nee Allitt, sister to William Allitt. He Tom was the elder of the two brothers. Charles was a ships carpenter, he went away to sea when my father was quite a baby and was never heard of again.

When my father was a baby their mother died and the two boys were cared for and later adopted by their Uncle and Aunt, William and Elizabeth. They then took the name Allitt.

Uncle Tom told me that he only had a very faint recollection of his father and mother\ and that my father was too young to have any recollection of them at all; the only parents that they both had memories of was that of their Aunt and Uncle William and Elizabeth.

William Allitt, F.R.H.S of London, was friend of Baron Von Muller, who was the government botanist of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, and through him the two boys were apprenticed to gardening; Tom to Mr Vennes of Macedon and my father, George, to Mr Wiseman of Glenroy, when they were old enough to work.

During the period of the Boer War my father was a Sergeant Major in the Mounted Rifles and spent a time training troop in Tasmania.

On one occasion he rescued a man from drowning in the sea at Black Rock, Melbourne and was awarded the Royal Humane Societys Bronze Medal, decoration for his act.

When William Allitts health began to fail, my father returned to Tyrendarra and took over the running of the old home, he cleared the land and established a five-acre apple orchard. On Williams Allitts death, he was appointed the Post Master at Tyrendarra,

At the age of 32 he married our mother, May Taylor of Green Hill Tyrendarra (the youngest daughter of George and Annie Taylor) at St. James Church of England Tyrendarra, on the 20^th December 1899.

There were five children of this marriage, Leslie born 13/2/1901; Ronald born 1/9/1903; Leonard who died as a baby, born 16/4/1906; Hazel Anne born 13/10/1908; and Keith George, born 16/4/1911. All were born at our old home, the Tyrendarra Store and Post Office.

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My father died on 21/121954, aged 87 years; my mother died 5/3/1964 age 84 years; both are buried in the Narrawong cemetery.

My father and mother established the Tyrendarra Store in 1901 and worked it in conjunction with the Post Office.

They built and additional two living rooms in the front of William Allitts old stone residence and store and storeroom along the western side, they also built a veranda along the whole front of the building. I still have faint memories of the new portion-taking place.

As time went on business grew and dad commenced deliveries to the residents in the local district as well as the adjoining districts, namely, Narrawong, Homerton and Bessiebell.

Our home, which was situated 16 miles from Portland and 28 miles from Port Fairy, was a place where lodgings could be obtained for travellers between the two towns, and as all travel was by horse drawn vehicle and the roads were unmade and often in very bad condition, travellers often availed themselves of the available accommodation.

Before the local hall was built about 1914, our home was the general meeting place of committees of various local activities, and in general, the store and post office was the general meeting place of all residents of the district.

It was also the Polling Booth of Federal and State Elections