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Travelling north [from Mannerim] by Banks and Soho Roads one comes to Murradoc. This was the site of the farm of J.F. Levien, the "model farmer" and parliamentarian. He employed quite a considerable number of workers and the area had a reasonable population (19 occupiers in 1881, 34 in 1891). The need for a school was supplied by the Church of England in June 1860 with Joseph Ball as the head teacher; in 1863 the average attendance was 31. In 1873 Levien examined the pupils and awarded 18 valuable books as prizes; the teachers then were Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd who also donated prizes. The results reflected "great credit on Mr. Lloyd and proved that he had taken great trouble with their drill". In 1881 tenders were called for the building of a timber school to accommodate 60; it opened the following year. No. 417 closed in 1931. A Sunday School, probably in the first school, was being run in 1879 by A.P. Burness, a local grazier; there were 50 on the roll and he entertained them and about 20 adults at a picnic on his property on New Year's Day with the usual feasting and games. He also intended starting a non-sectarian library for which he already had a £2 donation from Mr. Cummins, MLC, and a gift of books from the Drysdale Wesleyan Sunday School. In 1910 Murradoc was described as a farming district with a coach to Drysdale and a post office, John McRae being the postmaster. (p. 110)
(See p. 180 of Balla-wein for source references.)
[Reproduced with the kind permission of Ian Wynd, Geelong]
Wynd, Ian. Balla-wein : A history of the Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Bellarine, Drysdale, 1988 - available from the Bellarine Historical Society and the Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Record Sources for Murradoc
- Photographs : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre; various private collections.
- Maps & Plans : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- Newspapers : Geelong Advertiser Indexes - Bellarine Historical Society & Geelong Historical Records Centre; Geelong Advertiser on microfilm - Geelong Historical Records Centre; various local newspapers - Bellarine Historical Society.
- Miscellaneous Documents & Advertisements : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre; various private collections.
- Bellarine Shire Council Records : Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- More recent Council Records : City of Greater Geelong.
- Cemetery Records : Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
- Land Records : Registrar of Titles, Melbourne; Bellarine Historical Society; Geelong Historical Records Centre.
Bibliography
Brownhill, Geo. H. Illustrated Guide to Geelong And District, Facsimile edn., Deakin University Press, Geelong, 1990.
Campbell, A. J. Tourist Guide to Geelong and Southern Watering Places, Henry Thacker, Geelong, 1893.
Wynd, Ian. Balla-wein : A history of the Shire of Bellarine, Shire of Bellarine, Drysdale, 1988.
Wynd, Ian. Geelong The Pivot : A Short History of Geelong and District, Cypress Books, Mont Albert North, 1971.
