Taradale Historical Group - From the Archives - William Graham and Rose Villa

Taradale Historical Group Inc. – From the Archives William Graham – Butcher, J.P, Local Councillor/Mayor and Grazier William Graham was born in Scotland in 1832 to parents James Graham (a Baker) and Janet Tait. He came to Taradale around 1857, aged 25. He married Ann Elizabeth Horswell, aged 19, on 2 June 1858 in Castlemaine. Their marriage registration records William and Ann’s residence at the time as Taradale and his occupation as a butcher.

He first commenced business as a butcher on the old Ironstone Hill1 near Taradale South. He prospered and would move his business to a shop in High Street Taradale which would later be occupied by John Hookey.

He would soon come to prominence as a citizen of Taradale being elected to the Taradale Municipal Council in 1861. He was in 1869 appointed Mayor and was involved in the amalgamation with the Metcalfe Shire and attended the first meeting of the amalgamated council in 1870. He ceased being a councillor after the amalgamation.

He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1876. On 1 August 1876 the Mount Alexander Mail reported,” a move to request the Minister of Justice to appoint T. Jackson and W. Graham J.Ps” for the Police Court in Taradale. He served on the bench of the Taradale Court of Petty Sessions for many years.

William Graham also became involved in mining ventures in the 1870s and 1880s and had a large interest in a mine called the Golden Gate.

He was a clearly a well-respected citizen of Taradale which was demonstrated by the testimonials presented prior to his departure on a return to the “old country” for a holiday in 1881 and which was reported in the Mount Alexander Mail on 9 April 1881.

From Mount Alexander Mail, Sat 9 Apr 1881

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Ironstone Hill (Was a favoured tunnelling/puddling location by 1860 and became a focus for several large mining operations, including Coliban Co. (1860), Hercynia Co. (1864/1869), and Ironstone Hill Co. (c.1873 to c.1883). Located 4.5 km south of Taradale, Back Creek, east side of Millers Road. https://vgls.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/asset/1267774

William Graham’s butcher shop was situated near the corner of High and Patterson Streets in what once was the central section of Taradale’s shopping strip. The shop was originally owned by John Garden who had his office in High Street next door to the butcher shop.

William Graham’s butcher can be seen in this photograph situated left of McLachlan Saddler and to the right of the Colonial Bank of Australasia ( 2 storey building)

Records show that William Graham also owned the Stables (Cobb & Co) in Patterson Street which was possibly used as a slaughterhouse and for stabling, the McLachlan Saddler store next to his butcher shop, a slaughter yard in Lyell Street North on W. S. Urquhart’s2 land, 100 acres of land on the Coliban River, a house in James Street and land to the east of his home “Rose Villa” in Faraday Street. He also leased the Urquhart Estate from W S Urquhart on which he possessed one of the best wool producing flocks in the district. He relinquished this lease just prior to his death.

There is no record of children. William Graham died on 19 May 1898 aged 66 and his wife Annie Elizabeth died on 20 July 1904. They are buried in Taradale Cemetery in an impressive grave which is said to be a vault.

In her will Annie Elizabeth Graham left the bulk of her estate to her surviving nieces and nephews being the children of Henry Wells3 of Taradale, and her sister Mary Frances Wells nee Horswell. It was at this time that Rose Villa was purchased by the Hookeys and the remainder of the Graham’s real estate was sold off.

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William Swan Urquhart was for many years the District Surveyor for Taradale Henry Wells was a draper in Taradale and later at Junction House in Kyneton, He was also a J.P. and the original owner of the house “Belnie” in De La Beche Street Taradale 3

From The Mount Alexander Mail – 23 August 1898

Rose Villa – Faraday Street Taradale This dwelling is thought to have been built for William Graham in around 1864.

Records indicate that rates were paid by William Graham for the house in Faraday Street from this time.

The name Rose Villa was most likely attributed to the house by William Graham and his wife. He and his wife lived in the house until his death in 1898. In Memoriam notices submitted by his wife to the Mount Alexander Mail in 1902 indicate his death took place at his home “Rose Villa” in Taradale.

On her death in 1904 Annie Elizabeth Graham was residing in Kyneton. The probate documents accompanying her will indicate at the time of her death Rose Villa was being leased to Frederick William Hookey (son of John Hookey a butcher in Malmsbury and Taradale) at 5 shillings per week.

Frederick Hookey worked in the butcher business with his father in 1910 due to his father’s failing health and difficulty running his business. John Hookey died in 1911.

Frederick disposed of the butcher business around 1919 to William Kinross.

At this point Frederick Hookey went farming on a property known as “The Wilcot/the Woolcot or Willcots” located adjoining Limestone4 and the Urquhart Estate5 and running back to the Coliban River on its western boundary. In around 1914 Frederick Hookey also purchased 60 acres of forest country known as Lacey’s, purchased from Frances Lacey daughter of William Lacey saddler in High Street near the blacksmith’s shop which was opposite the present Post Office.

Frederick William Hookey had married Florence Emily Howlett in 1901. Together they had 7 children: Geoffrey, John, Margaret (Peg), Hugh, Ellinor (Nell), Bertram and Rodney.

The Hookey family at Rose Villa – circa 1906 - 1910 – note the decorative ironwork on the verandah.

Frederick Hookey died in 1961 and his wife Florence in 1954. All of the family had eventually moved away from Taradale with the exception of Bertram, who never married. He stayed living at Rose Villa until 1989 when he went into care in Kyneton.

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Limestone Homestead – Spring Creek Road Taradale – established by the Pethybridge family circa 1861.

The Urquhart Estate is one part of the substantial Taradale property holdings of William Swan Urquhart, District Surveyor.

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John (Jack) Hookey took over the house and the family continued to come to Rose Villa for holidays until its sale in 2017.

In 1992 the Taradale Historical Group undertook a Heritage Sites Study talking to older residents and family, examining and photographing what remained of buildings and researching through a range of other historical resources and references. The information gathered from this study/research regarding Rose Villa, which at the time was still owned by the Hookeys, included the following: “The Hookey home is brick, originally with a shingle roof. Corrugated iron was added at an early stage. The shingles still remain under the corrugated iron roof.

Renovations took place in the 1914-1918 period. The sewing room wall was removed to enable the kitchen to be enlarged. The “Glasshouse” was improved or rebuilt to make an additional bedroom.

Part of the south side of the veranda was covered in to make an additional sleeping space in the 1930s. There is a large underground cellar cut into the hill on the western side of the rear veranda.

Of the four main rooms (brick) the two on the southside have 12ft ceilings; the two on the north side have 10ft ceilings. The veranda originally had a timber floor with railings in a criss-cross pattern6. This floor rotted and was replaced with a concrete veranda with brick retaining walls with the bricks coming from the old Post Office building.

There is evidence of a large underground tank in the back yard which may have been used before reticulated water was available in Taradale.

Timber for the floor was blackwood from the demolished John Watkin’s home which was located in High Street Taradale opposite the school. Frederick Hookey was assisted in these renovations by Bill Hood, a long time faithful and versatile employee with Oscar Thoms a builder (Electoral Roll for 1917 & 1919 list him as an orchadist and in later entries after he left Taradale he is listed as a carpenter). Oscar Thoms lived in a house near the water channel on Fryerstown Road.”

Rose Villa” circa 1992. This photograph was taken as part of the Taradale Historical Group’s Heritage Sites study

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The criss-cross pattern railings appear to have been reinstated after 1992 as evidenced in the 2017 photo below. They have since been removed by the current owner as they believe they were not part of the original building (refer 2023 photos).

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Rose Villa since 2017 The current owners, Sharon and Ron Randall purchased Rose Villa from the Hookeys in 2017 and have set out to restore Rose Villa and its garden.

Rose Villa in 2017

They have restored all the rooms in the original brick house and are now restoring the timber rooms at the rear of the house. These being the old sewing room which had been merged with the kitchen and the old glasshouse which has been converted into a new ensuite bathroom. The original cast iron posts and decorative scrolls on the front verandah (refer the circa 1906-1910 photo above) have been replicated in timber.

The garden which had not been maintained with the only original plantings being a pear tree, a massive quince tree and a purple lilac growing next to and over the outdoor cellar.

The garden has now been restored with a traditional cottage garden.

Rose Villa featured in Country Style magazine in 2019 and you can read the article here: Country Style Magazine - 2019 The photos below demonstrate the huge amount of work undertaken by Sharon and Ron n to restore Rose Villa and its garden.

Rose Villa Taradale -circa 2023