THE 'GREENMOUNT" ESTATE By Mrs. Margery Missen (M. Fullard)

There have been only 5 owners of the homestead portion : the Earl of Glengarry, John Collins, the Buckley family, W.J.Wight and the Missen family.

Aeneas Ranaldson Macdonnel, Earl of Glengarry
In Ju1y 1841, Glengarry settled on the banks of the Tarra River. Frame houses were erected and preparations were begun for dairying on a large scale. He had brought with him famed Scottish cattle, advanced agricultural implements, shepherds, milkmaids and agriculturists. However, the Highland Chief and his employees had no experience of Austra1ian conditions. All milk and butter produced was consumed on the property which was running at a continual loss. In June 1842, the cattle, plant and yards were sold and Glengarry returned to Scotland where he died in 1852.

John Collins took out a squatting licence in 1844.
Edmund Buckley
Buckley was given part of the Run. He had 192 bullocks, 11 steers, 54 cows, 13 calves, together with 57 head for his step-son, Patrick Coady Buckley. On January 10, 1846, the latter settled with John Collins for the Station which was then to be called "Greenmount".

The Buckley Era. This lasted for 60 years. Edmund Buckley had landed in Sydney on January 18, 1812. He was a convict, aged 30, religion Catholic, who had been sentenced for life. He received a conditional pardon and by 1834 - 1837 was in the Monaro district where he had a run of 22,000 acres.

During the great drought of 1837-1844 he moved south to this new Run. The house was built in the late 1840s and was demolished in 1938 as it was unsuitable for renovation - the bricks were of poor quality and were eroding. Drought years were experienced again in 1848-1849. In June they started to kill 5 cows each day; the following day these were boiled down for tallow which was taken to the port by bullock teams and sold at Hobart Town for £24 - £100 per ton.

On March 4, 1857, Edmund Buckley sent for his step-son and Doctor Hedley to help him to make his Will. After providing for his children he allocated 4 acres of Allotment 15, with a road 1/2 a chain wide as well, to be used as a cemetery for persons of the Roman Catholic faith. He re- quested that £100 be used to build a chapel but this was never built. (An altar has now been built and the names of those known to have been buried in this cemetery have been placed on the bricks. open-air masses are held there. ) On May 27, 1859, Buckley was returning from the second Tarraville Agricultural Show, alone, at night. He was thrown from his horse and he died at 2 am.; he was buried two days later in his own burial ground on his own Estate. His funeral was attended by 120 people. His step-son, P.C.Buckley, was Executor of the estate and managed it until Edmund's children became of age.

Patrick Coady Buckley was of almost gigantic stature, energetic, truthful, industrious, with a high sense of honour and his word was his bond. He died from diphtheria on June 6, 1872. Eventually, James, the youngest son of the late Edmund Buckley, acquired the property. He was known as the squire of Greenmount; he was a shire Councillor and shire President. In 1890 he leased the property to Michael and Peter Le Grand. He retired in 1903 to live at "Greenmount" in St. Kilda and became a very successful businessman. He died in 1923.

Mr. W.J.Wight
On September 14, 1906, the homestead Lot 9, of 245 acres, 3 roods and 15 perches, was bought by Mr. Wight, for £23 per acre. He grew wheat and oats and his son, Albert Norman, carried on with dairying until the property was sold privately to A.L.Missen in 1937.

A.L.Missen and Morris Colin Missen
Morris Missen has managed the farm from 1948 when he married Margery Daniel. In 1962 they began to run beef cattle. In 1967, the Tarra River went dry and the beams of Angus McMillan's bridge were exposed thus proving that he had crossed the Tarra River.
        In 1980 there were 95 graves with headstones at the Greenmount catholic cemetery but there were no records - they had all been lost. The Greenmount Cemetery Trust was re-formed, with Margery as a member. Many names have now been recovered. The Trust had no funds but raised $2,000 by producing booklets about "Greenmount", compiled by Margery.
       Before settlement, the country was open and lightly wooded. "Greenmount" is 2 miles east of Yarram, opposite the Golf Club. The house was built in 1906-7 and Margery has lived there for 51 years.
       Mr. Jim Hood thanked Mrs. Missen for this most interesting talk about her family's property. A booklet containing her latest research is for sale, cost of $12 per copy.