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W B Chaffey’s grand house, ‘Rio Vista’, was completed in 1891,
and was occupied by members of the Chaffey family until 1950
when it was purchased by Mildura City Council. Today it forms
part of the Mildura Arts Centre complex. The fountain is a replica
of the original, now in Deakin Avenue, in which the Chaffey’s
young son drowned. Photo: Hallmark Editions.
second marriage drowned in the fountain in front of
‘Rio Vista’.
Now began the depression of the 90s, exacerbated by
drought and the crippling rabbit plague. Banks closed,
the river became too shallow for transport, and families
walked off their properties. Many headed west to try
their luck at the new gold rush in Kalgoorlie.
Complaints came in about everything: having to pay
water rates, the condition of the channels, the lack of a
train service, financial obligations, the running of the
company. Mildura was in trouble and a solution was
needed.
If there was a villain it was the Victorian government
which had done little to give Mildura a fair go. A Royal
Commission was set up but Royal Commissions don’t
find governments at fault. Somebody else was needed as
a scapegoat, and it was not hard to guess who the
government had in mind.
Thus it was that George Chaffey made the
memorable address that we quoted at the beginning of
this article. Usually George was not regarded as much
This bluestone monument marks the grave of Hattie Schell,
W B Chaffey’s first wife who died after giving birth to her sixth son,
Maurice Murray Chaffey. Maurice died four months later and is
buried alongside his mother. George and William Chaffey’s mother
is also here, as well as two children from W B Chaffey’s marriage
to his second wife, also Hattie Schell. Photo: Hallmark Editions.
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