Robert Ford

  General Notes:

Birth regno 8370. Took over the Wickliffe general store from James and Caroline Pyle in 1879. In 1912, his son William Haig Ford took over the shop, and Robert and Mary bought a property between Lake Bolac and Woorndo which they called "Somerville". After Mary died in 1916, Robert said to his neighbour Tom Austin at "Eilya" that he should never have moved out of town to the property, at which suggestion Austin purchased the property at a bargain price and renamed it "Myuna".

  Noted events in his life were:

• Birth: First white boy born in Lake Bolac, 1846. William Ford and Sarah Trew travelled to Port Fairy having heard of good prospects. After 1 year, they procured a bullock cart and provisions and set off. They had travelled at 6-7 miles per day for 80 miles when they arrived and settled at Lake Bolac. In 1846, their son Robert was born in a shepherd's hut - the first white boy born in the district.

Robert married Mary Somerville Haig, daughter of Charles Haig and Selina Miller, on 20 Feb 1874. (Mary Somerville Haig was born in 1856, died on 12 Dec 1916 in "Somerville" ("Myuna"), Lake Bolac, VIC, Australia and was buried in 1916 in Wickliffe, VIC, Australia.)