Matthew Peter Turner Atkinson (1873 - 1954)

Born 1873 in Branxholme, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Lavinia Mary (Smith) Atkinson — married 12 Nov 1908 in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 10 Oct 1954 at about age 81 in Branxholme, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Matthew was born in 1873. He passed away in 1954. He was employed as a ranger and pound keeper for the Shire of Portland for many years. He was renowned as an extremely good horseman having broken in many horses during a era when horses were the only means of travel and transport. He brought and sold many acres of land before going into partnership with Mary Deveraux (Wife of the late Hugh Deveraux). The Deveraux family were amongst the very first settlers around Branxholme. Matthew was for a time the Treasurer for the Branxholme Show Society. He was a good source of gossip and a very good narrator of stories of the early days of the district - unfortunately this author being very young - heard these stories - but never listened intently enough to be able to recall them. Some such stories of Matthew Atkinson: . Matt was given a particulate difficult horse to break into harness - the horse was given up as too be hopeless and difficult to get going. When the horse came to Matt, he stood it on a bullant's nest while he harnessed it up. When the bullants started to crawl over and bite the horse, the horse very suddenly took off. And from then, on that horse always went where required. . When Matt was in his eighties, he harness a 'fresh' pony to his gig - until then this pony had always been ridden but never harnessed for a gig - and went for a drive down the highway. As they descended down a steep hill, the weight of the gig pushed onto the pony, causing it to bolt. the pony swung into the gateway of the property owned at the time by Mr Harold Gray. The nut of the gig wheel had been found to be missing but the wheel had managed to have stayed in place. A nasty accident had been averted. All Matt would say was "Better get someone to take the gig home." He rode the pony home bareback, and a few days latter was harnessing the pony up again to put back into the gig.

Sources

• Recollections of Mrs. Jessie MacPherson and Mrs. Sis Lather.
• BDM Victoria Birth 14705/1873
• BDM Victoria Marriage 7825/1908. Married at the Methodist Church in Hamilton on 12th Nov 1908 , Hugh Devereux' s Probate papers.
• BDM Victoria Death 23234/1954