William Hayes (1854-1937) married (1876)
Mary Elizabeth Bodycoat (1852-1930)
Growing Up for WilliamWilliam Hayes’ father, Mark, bought land in the Medland Estate between Woodstock and Wollert in 1853. While Mark and Maria Hayes were living there William was born at Woodstock, Victoria on 21 February 1854. Mark sold his land 1854 with final settlement in 1857.
William's parents had arrived in Australia from Medbourne in England with two children Mary Ann (1845) and George (1846). They had lost a third child back in Medbourne in 1850, Thomas, who had been born in 1849. So at birth, William had a big sister, Mary Ann (nearly 11) and a big brother George (8). The family had already experience the loss here in Victoria when their first Australian born child, Mark had been born and died in 1852. The family moved to Cambellfield briefly while their father was working there and Maria gave birth to Edward there in 1856. Mark then took up a selection of 213 acres in Tooborac at McIvor Creek in 1857. The family moved onto the land and lived in tents near the creek. William was four when in 1858 Mark Henry arrived followed by James a year and a half later in 1859. When William was 7 years old, David was born to the family in 1861. Mark built "Leicester House" on this land and by 1862 they were living in their "Stone House". In 1963, Joseph arrived but sadly Joseph drowned as a toddler. As a 9 year old, William would have been quite upset by losing his nearly 3 year old brother in 1866. Everyone thought someone else was watching young Joseph, yet no-one saw him fall into the water. The family must have been devastated. Just one month earlier, Maria had given birth to Alfred in 1866. When William was 14 years old, his final brother, Albert was born 1868. Thus William grew up in Tooborac working with his dad and seven brothers. Of these, Alfred was in some way disabled yet we can only suppose he helped the men on the land. William had only the one big sister, the first born Mary Ann. William was probably educated at the Common School which stood at the top of the hill on Norman Hayes’ property. |
Marrying MaryMary Elizabeth Bodycoat was born in Collingwood, a suburb of growing Melbourne in 1852.
William Hayes married Mary Elizabeth Bodycoat on 25 January 1876 at the home of the Mary's parents in Wollert. At this time, Mary’s parents, William and Mary Bodycoat, had a dairy farm in the Medland Estate named ‘Langton Lodge’. |
A Family of TEN!William Joseph Hayes was the first child of William Hayes and Mary (nee Bodycoat). He was born on 28 November 1876 in Wollert, Victoria. With so many "William"s in the family, it's no wonder he was always known as "Joe". At the time of Joe's birth, William Hayes was a Dairyman in Woodstock aged 22 and Mary was 24. So it appears that during this period, William was working for his father-in-law, William Bodycoat up until about 1880 when they returned to Tooborac to farm.
William and Mary took Joe and his younger sister, Charlotte Elizabeth, and moved to Tooborac prior to the birth of David Walter on 13 July 1881. Having been born in Tooborac according to the family Bible, Walter's birth was registered in Heathcote. Joe was about 5 years old. We are not sure if they went directly to the property that became the family home of ‘Medburn’. Mary Elsie James Wilfred Albert John Maria Scearcy May Victoria, died whilst the family were burning up heaps of timber from clearing land at ‘Medburn’. She was just three years old. She had been carrying sticks in her ‘pinny’ (apron) and had fallen into the fire. Thomas Henry Alice Myrtle |
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Justice of the PeaceIn the 'Miscellaneous' column of the Nhill Free Press, it is stated that the State Executive Council had approved William Hayes, Tooborac as a Justice of the Peace on 15th June 1914 for the central and midland bailiwicks of Victoria.
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Councillor William HayesWilliam was so well thought of as a Councillor, that the writer of the "Perambulator" in the Kilmore Free Press paused in his rant about the unsustainable increase in Australian population; the outrageous cost of Canberra; the incongruous celebrations in Germany at the withdrawal of the French, to write his condolences on the death of his wife Mary.
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Kilmore Free Press, Thursday 10 July 1930
Perambulator In the sudden death of Mrs Mary Elizabeth, wife of Cr William Hayes, of Pyalong shire, the Tooborac district has lost one of its oldest residents. The deceased lady was 77 years of age, youngest daughter of the late Mr Bodycoat of Woodstock, and a resident of Tooborac for over half a century where she reared a large family, with whose bereavement there is widespread sympathy. A vote of condolence was passed by the Pyalong Council at its last meeting to Cr Hayes, who has been for many years one of the most trusted members of that body. |
Christmas Day Fire, 1941
The Kilmore Free Press reported, "What was probably the worst fire experienced in the
district occurred during the Christmas
holidays, when thousands of acres of valuable grasslands in the grazing area bounded by Kilmore, Lancefield
and Tooborac was swept by flames fanned by a heavy
north wind."
The report went on to say, "The outbreak originated about a mile south of Toborac in the vicinity of what is known as the Chinaman's garden, where a newcomer to the district was camped in a hut which has been a landmark for years. This structure was destroyed on Christmas Day some time after midday and with a heavy north-westerly wind flames soon jumped the main Tooborac-Lancefield Road and got into the property of Mr. Donaldson. Within a minute or two Mr. Donaldson's house was endangered, the hedge in front being well scorched. Luckily members of the family saw it in time." The fire path was explained - "then it swung southwards and into the property of Mr. William Hayes." William lost about 660 acres. "Most members of the Tooborac Bush Fire Brigade were enjoying or about to sit down to Christmas dinner when the alarm was spread and with their two fire trucks and equipment were soon on the scene." Boxing Day, Friday, saw, "A Strip of country 26 miles long and eight miles deep was swept by the fire at different times during the day, extending from south Tooborac to Tantaraboo in the Kilmore district, into the Black Range and towards Lancefield. Residents in this large area had an unenviable time and all suffered losses of a serious nature."
The report went on to say, "The outbreak originated about a mile south of Toborac in the vicinity of what is known as the Chinaman's garden, where a newcomer to the district was camped in a hut which has been a landmark for years. This structure was destroyed on Christmas Day some time after midday and with a heavy north-westerly wind flames soon jumped the main Tooborac-Lancefield Road and got into the property of Mr. Donaldson. Within a minute or two Mr. Donaldson's house was endangered, the hedge in front being well scorched. Luckily members of the family saw it in time." The fire path was explained - "then it swung southwards and into the property of Mr. William Hayes." William lost about 660 acres. "Most members of the Tooborac Bush Fire Brigade were enjoying or about to sit down to Christmas dinner when the alarm was spread and with their two fire trucks and equipment were soon on the scene." Boxing Day, Friday, saw, "A Strip of country 26 miles long and eight miles deep was swept by the fire at different times during the day, extending from south Tooborac to Tantaraboo in the Kilmore district, into the Black Range and towards Lancefield. Residents in this large area had an unenviable time and all suffered losses of a serious nature."
ObituariesTooborac
Grand Old Man Dies The announcement of the death of Mr. William Hayes, J.P. (83), was received with deep regret by his many district friends on Monday. The late Mr. Hayes was a councillor of the Pyalong Shire for very many years and expressed his desire to resign at several meetings last year, on account of failing health, but he was persuaded to see Pyalong's Centenary Celebration through first. Unfortunately, however, he was unable to take part in the proceedings, a matter that was regretted by all. Pyalong Shire adjourned its meeting on Wednesday, as a mark of respect and also to en- able councillors to attend the funeral of the father of the council. The funeral left his late residence, "Medburn" Tooborac, on Wednesday evening for the Heathcote Cemetery, and was very largely attended. His wife pre-deceased him some years ago. He was the father of a large family, as follows: —Joseph, Elizabeth (Mrs. A. Rainey), Walter, Elsie (Mrs. Gallpen) Wilfred, Albert (deceased), Maria (Mrs. J. Gilmore), May (deceased), Thomas and Myrtle (Mrs. D. Rainey). (Kilmore Free Press, Thursday 11 Feb 1937) HEATHCOTE. - Mr William Hayes of Medburn Tooborac who died on Wednesday was one of the district's most successful graziers. He was aged 83 years. For more than 30 years he had been a councillor of the Pyalong Shlre. He served for many years on the committee of management of the Heathcote Agricultural and Pastoral Society and several times was president. He was a trustee of the Tooborac Mechanics Institute. Many public institutions were represented at his funeral including members of the Masonic Lodge Heathcote and the Oddfellows order.
(The Argus, Melbourne, Friday 12 Feb 1937) |