The following two essays were written by Colin Gray a pupil at Wooragee School No 653 in 1928 with the steel pen and inkwell set in a hole in the front of his desk, which were standard equipment in our schooldays. Colin was then about eleven years old.
Colin and his elder brother Lindsay were "wards of the State", they lived with Alex Edmonson and his family. Alex was a son of pioneer settler George Edmonson, so no doubt Colin would have gained much of the information for his essays from him, also from Mrs Edmonson who was a daughter of Dominic De Vigneau a French market gardener who was a near neighbour of the Edmonson family in what is now known as Edmonson Lane
This page was provided by Denise McMahon.
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EARLY DAYS IN WOORAGEE
In the early days Wooragee was part of a run known as "Reids Run". "Reids Run" joined "Mackays Run" one point of the boundary being at the huge rocks known as the "Three Sisters" near Woolshed. "Reids Run" extended through Wooragee to the gap leading out of the basin.
In the fifties and sixties after the gold rush to Beechworth and Yackandandah districts settlers began to take up land at Wooragee. (Mining was still carried out along the creeks).
Amongst the earliest settlers were Dr Gemmell, Messrs C Morgan, J Fraser, G Edmonson, Drummond, J&G Graham, Wilson, Smith, R Johnson, D Vigneau, W La Pouple, and D Mitchell.
Agricultural and pastoral pursuits were engaged in.
At this time Wooragee was a busy place. Coaches ran regularly between Beechworth and Albury. Beechworth at that time being the principal town in the North East had large cattle markets which attracted buyers from the surrounding districts, and even from New South Wales. For this and other reasons there was a good deal of traffic through Wooragee.
Towards the end of the fifties the "Star Hotel" was built by Mr J A Wallace, and another was built by Mr Billson, Hon A A Billson's father.
In the sixties a small store and bakery was opened not far from where the store now stands. Soon after the store was moved to the site it at present occupies. A post office was opened.
In the seventies Wooragee was visited by bushrangers. Three men Smith, Brady, and White came across country from the Chiltern district. They visited the store, demanded ammunition, etc and so frightened the store keepers wife that she died shortly after.
The bushrangers then went on to the hotel on the road. Shots were fired and the proprietor was killed. The men escaped but were afterwards captured near Chiltern.
In the early days Wooragee was often visited by blacks, King Billy and his tribe from the Kiewa districts. It is believed that their object was partly to look for Bogong moths which are said to have been found here at certain times.
In the fifties the first school was opened. It was held in a deserted brick building near where Mr G Elliott now lives. Miss Cook was the first teacher.
Shortly after the school was held in an old store about 200 yards East of the site of the present school. The school was earthen and very dusty and this school was known as "The Dusty School". Later on a weatherboards school was built on the site occupied by the present school. This was called a Common School and was taken over by the State in the seventies. Time passed on and part of the present school was built. The North wing being added later. The attendance grew to 70 or 80 but has gradually fallen again.
Wooragee was known far and wide on account of its teacher Mr Townsend who did much for the district.
The Church was built in the sixties or early seventies, much, or all of the money for the cost of the erection being subscribed by the residents.
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EARLY HISTORY OF WOORAGEE
In the early part of 1838 the late Mr David Reid formed a sheep and cattle station on the Ovens where "Reidsdale" is now. In 1840, three years after Melbourne was founded, Mr Reid took up Wooragee as a separate run and formed the station home at the West end of Wooragee, The house has lately been removed. Two of the earliest stockmen were Morris Herbert, and Christopher Vincent. Sheep were shepherded on Spring Creek, and Mayday hills, where Beechworth is now. In 1845 Mr Reid purchased lower Yackandandah station, and in 1846 he started and built a water mill just below where Allans Flat is now, for the purpose of making flour. It was then the only mill of its kind between Melbourne and Goulburn, New South Wales. While Mr Reid held Wooragee and Yackandandah runs, the Beechworth district rush broke out, and soon thousands of people assembled where previously there had only been a few whites with their cattle, sheep, and horses, and tribes of blacks. Wooragee was the first station that Richard Goldsborough, the founder of the celebrated wool firm Goldsborough Mort and Co was on in Australia. He was a woolclasser by profession. The first sheep he classed were the Wooragee and Reidsdale sheep, and with wool from these "Runs" he started his sales when he set up his business in Melbourne.
The Reid family hold a gold medal presented by the firm to Mr Reid commenorating the first sale of wool. The wool was branded A R.
Mr David Reid, now living in Howlong new South Wales, is a son of the late Mr David Reid. He was born at "Reidsdale" in 1846 and came to Wooragee in 1847. He must have been the first Australian [sic] to live at Wooragee.
Last updated on 01 September 2021
