A little tale of past history by Dorothy Meagher

Last month, I found a handwritten story in the archives written by my grandmother about her grandmother’s encounter with a bushranger in the 1870s. I could not resist sharing it for Women’s History Month! Dorothy Hogan Meagher (nee Donovan) was ‘Gran’ to me, ‘Dot’ to some of my cousins and ‘Doll’ to my father.  She wrote this story in 1996, when she was eighty years old, about a recollection – a little tale of past history – for my mother who was doing family tree research.

Thinking back to 1996 and remembering the last year of my Gran’s life, I am impressed by her clear voice of recollection and her strong handwriting because it disguises an aged body, riddled with cancer. I don’t remember the time of the year that Gran was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but I distinctly remember being told, according to the doctors she would not see her next birthday. Sadly, they were right, she died ten days before her eighty first birthday on 14 June 1996.

The story describes my great-great grandmother, Margaret McCormack‘s frightening encounter with a bushranger, whilst she was tending to her baby in the family homestead. Quite possibly the story is our own family version of Henry Lawson’s famous short story, The Drover’s Wife. The recollection of this extraordinary event is written on two loose leaf pages and has been reproduced here in full with a transcript below. The property, incorrectly referred to as Northward Park, was called Northwood when it was owned by my great-great grandparents Margaret and Daniel McCormack in the late c.1860s-1910s.

Today, the property, Northwood Park, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed, and is one of two Darley thoroughbred stallion stables in Australia. Northwood Park is located on the picturesque Goulburn River and I dare say looks very different to how the property was in the days of bushrangers.

Dorothy Meagher’s handwritten story about her grandmother’s encounter with a bushranger near Seymour.

Page 2 of Dorothy Meagher’s handwritten story

Transcript

Mother’s parents (Dorothy Meagher)

Dan & Margaret McCormack started their married life at a place called “Northward Park” (I think the “Park” was there then) a few miles out from Seymour in about 1868. Most of their relatives lived in or around Seymour. I imagine their farm was on a main thorough fare as Margaret kept the toll gates. She was an Irish girl & renowned for the loud “Coo-ee” she could muster.

At this stage Uncle Jim – eldest in the family was about a couple of months old & asleep in a basket in front of the kitchen ranger, when lo & behold a bushranger burst in and demanded the money from the toll gates. Margaret bravely refused & he pointed the gun at the baby & said he would shoot it. She dashed out & let out one of her loudest “Coo-coo-ee’s”. (Probably always called the men to lunch in this way) but as it was too early & distressed it made Dan & his men fly onto their horses & make for the homestead. By this time the thoroughly frightened bush ranger galloped in the opposite direction. Margaret was the talk of the town & written up in the “Seymour Telegraph” & all the local papers. I remember (a pretty dim memory now) reading all these cuttings yellowed with age many years later. It was revealed the source of the cash was hidden innocently behind a soup bowl on the kitchen dresser. The dresser in those days was a big open affair where all the different sized plates were staked & the cups hung on hooks!

Bushranger still galloping.

Dorothy Meagher granddaughter 1996.

Postscript 

I think in latter years the farm was sold to an adjoining one & became the home of a fairly big racing stables or combine & I think still known for many years as Northward Park. Denise’s friend Geraldine’s husband could tell you more about it as his grandfather was uncle Jim McCormick.