Ibbotson Emigration to Australia

Harry initially worked on uncle Charles’ Spray House Farm at East Bellarine until shortly before Charles died in 1883 when he provided Harry with a 320 acre farm bordering the Portarlington/Queenscliff Road, Founds Rd and Scotchmans Rd.  Harry & Myrah named the farm ‘Enfield’ after Myrah’s birthplace and their marriage place. The name ‘Enfield‘ is still affixed to the gate on the property to this day (2025.)

Harry & Myrah had 10 children in 21 years:

1. John 1877-1901

John was born at Bellarine, most likely at Spray House Farm, Bellarine where his father was then working.   He died of pneumonia aged 24.  At the time he was caretaker of the Old Soldiers Home at nearby Drysdale.

2. Charles Roland 1879-1949

Charles was also born at Bellarine and remained at Enfield until around 1909 by which time he had married Margaret Dewhurst Cornall.  Margaret was with him at Enfield at this time.  By 1914 they had moved to 723 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield where he is recorded as a Tram Driver. Later Census’ has him as a Fruitier/Greengrocer at Toorak. He died at Campbellfield, Melbourne, aged 69 yrs.

3. Amy 1884-1964

Amy was born at Enfield Farm and remained at Enfield until 1917 when at age 33 she married farmer Cecil Hubert Harvey of St Leonards.  By 1919 they had moved to the Pakenham South area where they remained and continued farming. Amy died aged 80 yrs in 1964 at Pakenham. Cecil died in 1972 and is buried at Berwick.

4. Adeline Mary 1886-1971

Adeline was born at Enfield Farm and remained at Enfield until 1918 when at age 32 she married farmer Arthur Augustus Harvey, brother of Cecil above, of St Leonards.  By 1923 they had moved to Mirboo North, Gippsland, Victoria where they remained and continued farming.  Adeline died at Mirboo North in 1971 aged 89 yrs.  Arthur had died in 1955 aged 73 yrs.  Arthur and Cecil’s father, Edward Harvey 1835-1901 had emigrated from Ireland ultimately to the St Leonards area. He established a large 4000 acre farm with a homestead known as ‘Fernside.’ He had bought the farm from one of the earlier squatters, J C Langdon who had also first owned the property that later became known as Spray Farm. Edward had become quite wealthy owning farms and other property on the Bellarine Peninsula and in Melbourne.

5. Leonard 1888-1955

Leonard was born at Enfield Farm and remained there farming until his death in 1955 aged 67 yrs.  He married Gladys Irene Parsons in 1926 (see Parsons Family History for further.)  Gladys remained on the farm until it was sold.  They had a daughter Enid Mary Ibbotson 1930-2013 and son John Ibbotson.  Leonard’s son John Ibbotson sold the farm in 1974 and bought a larger farm at Lismore, Victoria. Gladys moved to Lismore with him but died shortly after.  This ended the almost 80 year Ibbotson clan’s association with Enfield.

6. Eveline 1890-1976

Eveline remained at Enfield Farm until about 1938 aged about 48 Yrs.  She never married and lived for the rest of her life at Boronia, Melbourne.  She died in 1976 aged 86 years.

7. Alfred Marsland 1891-1965

Alfred was born at Enfield Farm. He enlisted in the AIF at Geelong on 15 July 1915 and shipped out to Egypt in September 1915 with the 14th Battalion. On 19 December 1815 he was admitted to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital Cairo with acute Rheumatism/Rheumatic Fever.  He was repatriated back to Melbourne on 17 April 1916 and invalided out of the Army as unfit for service.  He remained in and out of hospital for the next few months.  By 1925 Alfred had married Grace Mary Mann 1898-1976. They initially moved to Mirboo North where his sister Adeline & her husband Arthur Harvey had been farming since 1923. Alfred gave his occupation as Storekeeper until by 1936, through to his death in 1965, they were living in Melbourne with his occupation given as Produce Merchant and Company Director. He must have become reasonably wealthy. In 1951 he and Grace had been in London, returning 1st Class in November on the P & O ship ‘Strathaird.’  (I recall visiting Alf & Grace at their Barkers Rd. residence later in the 1950s).

8. Hilda Alice 1893-1976

Hilda was born at Enfield Farm. She married farmer Samuel Owen Found 1896-1982 (known always as Owen) in 1928. They remained at Drysdale (Murradoc) until retiring to Portarlington.  Hilda died in 1976 aged 83 yrs.  Owen died in 1982 aged 86 yrs.  Founds Road, Drysdale/Murradoc was named after Owen’s pioneering settler grandfather John Found. The then Drysdale quarry in Founds Rd. was once known as Founds Quarry. That land was later, around 1898, acquired by William Henry Parsons who built a substantial homestead known as ‘Kelso’ where my Grandmother Myrtle Ibbotson nee Parsons and my mother, Joyce Harding nee Ibbotson were born.

9. Thomas Edwin 1896-1957

Thomas was born at Enfield Farm.  He enlisted in the AIF, aged 19 yrs at Geelong together with his brother Alfred on 14 July 1915 and embarked for Egypt on 5 October 1915. On 24 February 1916 he was taken on strength with the 7th Battalion at Serapeum, Cairo.  One month later he sailed from Alexandria to Marseille, France.  Between 23-26 July 1916 he had been wounded in action on the Western Front. In December 1916 he was hospitalised at Etaples Base Camp, Normandy with mumps before being repatriated to England. He remained in England at various base camps for the rest of 1917.  He returned to France on 25 March 1918 to Australian Infantry Base Depot at Havre, Normandy, again attached to the 7th Battalion. In late August 1918 he had been wounded in action twice (mustard gas shells), on the Western Front at an area known as the Terrils (basically coal mine slag heaps) and hospitalised at Rouen. He was again repatriated to England on 3 September 1918 and further hospitalised until 19 October 1918. The war ended on 11 November 1918 while Thomas was at Hurdcott, Camp, Wiltshire.  He embarked for Australia on 25 January 1919 after over 3 years in Europe. He was discharged from the Army in April 1919.  He married Elizabeth Georgina McGillivray in 1921 and they farmed in Neerim, South Gippsland for the remainder of their working lives.  Thomas died in 1957 aged 61 at Heidelberg, Melbourne (possibly the repatriation hospital).

10. Valentine Harry 1898-1974

Valentine Harry is our next descendant.