the family of james belcher of waterford, ireland - University of ...

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brothers and sister Ada. He farmed the three family properties. He took a keen
interest in local affairs while quite young and became secretary of the local Mutual
Improvement Society, and then in 1911 secretary of the local Presbyterian Church at
Moglonemby. About this time he played cricket for Tamleugh. For some time, he
was also Correspondent for the Committee of the local Rigg’s Creek School.
In 1912, Fred had joined the Militia in the 16th Light Horse Regiment with his
brotherWilliam. WiththecommencementofWorldWarOnein1914, heandWilliam
discussed the matter of enlistment. It was decided that, in the absence of the father
of the family, it was necessary for Fred to stay at home and care for the farm and
for his mother and younger brothers and sisters. In any case Fred was planning to
marry.
On 28th September 1915 at Euroa, Fred married a young school teacher, Dorothy
Robinson, the daughter of a former Presbyterian minister at Euroa, Rev Fred Robinson.
The couple settled on the farm “Braeside”, the original family selection at
Miepoll East, in a house built just across the Middle Creek from the old family home.
A new house had been built and timbers from the old house were used for some of
the sheds. The farm was sometimes referred to as “McNairs”, because it had been
leased to a person of that name, while the Belcher family lived in Euroa.
There, he and his wife raised sheep and pigs, and at least at one stage, ducks. In
1916, there was a record flood in the district, and they lost many of their poultry
in the flood. They also planted grapevines for production of table grapes, as well as
other orchard trees on the old farmstead across the creek.
Fred and his wife had four children - Winifred Jamieson, born 18 July, 1916;
William Robinson, born 29 January 1918; Joan born 24 September 1920 and died 31
March 1923, and Alan born 15th April 1924.
He served on the Board of Management of Moglonemby Presbyterian Church, and
participated in a wide range of district activities. In 1916, with the death of his
father, the three properties were divided amongst his mother, his five siblings and
himself, Fred is still managing the other properties as well as his own.
In 1931, because there was insufficient land for his farm to be viable, he and his
wife sold the “Braeside” property to a Mr Arthur Hunt and moved to Thoona, near
Glenrowan, where they bought a farm “Bleak House”, on the South-east slopes of the
Warby Ranges. However he was not to live in Thoona for long.
He died on 23rd March 1935 at the age of 48, leaving his widow and children, aged
18, 17 and 11 to operate the farm alone, which they did for many years. He was
buried at Thoona cemetery. During his short life at Thoona, Fred was very active in