Key Dates

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1876                           

Sarah Fanny Bracher is appointed First Assistant Teacher at Dunolly

1876 March           

Death of Ada Louisa Bracher at Kangaroo Flat

1876-1877                  

George Henry Bracher working in Hay, NSW

1877                           

George Henry Bracher moves to Melbourne for work

1878  June                  

Sarah Louisa and George Bracher move to Footscray to live with George Henry

1878 August                

George and Sarah Louisa move to Echuca to run a temperance hotel and to manage the farm on Maloga Mission

1878 September 25

George Henry Bracher marries Catherine Smith (Herara) in Emerald Hill

 

Not only were Sarah Fanny Bracher’s career prospects improving by the mid 1870s, so too was her personal life. Although not stated, it would seem that there was a potential match between Sarah Fanny and her cousin Ted Hall in Sydney. Aunt Amelia put an end to that possibility, but by October 1876 we begin to read of another suitor in her life, a Robert Disney Jones.

 

Robert Jones was also seeking to become a school teacher. Although his early career is not known, his progress through the ranks of the citizen militia is recorded. During the mid 1870s he was based in Castlemaine and began attending evening classes to gain his matriculation. The tall, wiry, red-headed Irishman began courting Sarah Fanny about this time, though how they met is unknown. Initially, Robert and his future father-in-law did not see eye-to-eye, and there are several references in letters about the poor relationship.

 

Sarah Fanny still had a cottage in Bendigo, which she rented out while working in Dunolly. During the early months of 1877 George Henry moved to Melbourne to further his career. He became indentured to Eyton’s, located at 95 Queen Street. He was careful with his money and wasted little on luxuries. He proudly reported to his sister “..my board only cost 6/6 last week on account of having such a lot of fish and kangaroo. I prefer that sought of meat very much….”

 

His mother was obviously proud of her son’s achievement and it must have been some consolation that at least the next generation of the family looked like they would be more successful and comfortable than she and her husband were  “….wherever he goes he is liked and does his best for his employer. I feel that I am greatly blessed in having such good dear children far more to me than the riches of this world, for they are very uncertain..”

 

Very shortly after arriving in Melbourne, George Henry met Catherine Herara-Smith and began actively courting her, much to his mother’s dismay. Sarah Louisa believed he was too young to become emotionally involved and that it would distract him from his career. Many lamentable comments about the relationship are passed by Sarah Louisa in letters to her daughter. There may also have been a significant class factor at play as well, for Catherine Herara-Smith was half Spanish-half Irish. Sarah Louisa made several references in later years to George ‘marrying down’. While Sarah Louisa described her daughter-in-law to others as being a ‘Presbyterian’, this religious affiliation is hard to believe given her parents background. The Brachers were staunch Methodists and remained so for another fifty years, only diminishing with the passing of Sarah Fanny in 1935.

 

Catherine Herara-Smith worked as a domestic hand in South Melbourne. She was two years older than George, which may have been another factor not in her favour with George’s mother. She was born in 1855 to Pedro Herara, formerly of Gibraltar, and to Catherine Barry from County Cork, Ireland. Pedro had Anglicised his first and surname to the rather bland ‘Peter Smith’, presumably to gain greater acceptance within a community that looked down upon unskilled migrant workers. During later years, Peter (Pedro) and his wife lived at White Cliffs, just north of Bendigo.

 

We first learn of Catherine in a letter from George to his mother in May 1877. He said that she had turned quite religious, attending church and prayer meetings regularly. George surmised that it was a result of Catherine living with such religious people. A few months later he provided his sister with a fuller description of her virtues:

 

“….my dearly beloved is quite well and often asks about you but she has one failing and only one that I know of and that is her remarkably sweet temper well seasoned with bitter sloes  (??), but I understand her pretty well now. Her religious views are rather too strict for my ideas, but that I consider a good fault”.

 

By late 1877 George Henry was obviously revelling in his new life in Melbourne and often wrote to his sister about the entertainment and colourful incidents of city life:

 

“…I am sorry for your heavy losses at the Maryborough Bazaar however I can congratulate myself on winning the enormous sum of 5/- in a sweep on the Derby which I was cordially invited to take a chance in by my shop mates and of course objected to. However they finally succeeded in dragging me into it and I quickly carried off the money as I generally do much to the dismay of all parties concerned. Kate and I are getting on remarkably well. If you and your chap don’t look mighty sharp you will have to come to us for nuptial advice…Last night I went o hear Mr Allen lecture on the life of Mr Gough the great temperance orator of the 19th century and never had such a treat in my life, admission free and no collection I enjoyed it far more than Clarke on Charles Dickens..I left Harts about a month ago and I am living at Mrs Hardings 17 La Trobe Street. One of their boarders has been drinking ever since the races and began carving himself with a razor on the windpipe and jugular and was found lying insensible on his bedroom floor in a pool of highly coloured fluid which was rather of a reddish nature. My dearly beloved employer’s place caught fire last night but I am happy to tell you that my tools were saved together with anything else…Eyton reckons 5 pounds will defray conflagration expenses. Very lucky for him as he is not insured for a penny…”

 

Sarah Louisa never lost the feeling throughout the remainder of her life that George had married too young and could have done a lot better in a partner. She expressed this constantly to her daughter.

 

However, despite Sarah Louisa’s displeasure, she had more pressing financial matters to attend to. It is about this time that she first aired her displeasure and disappointment in life and was often outspoken in her letters to her son and daughter about the ineptitude of her husband. Both had entered their 60s at this stage and the prospect of rewarding work was looking bleak. It must have been particularly galling for Sarah Louisa, given the money they had received over the past 20 years from George’s father and, in particular, their major inheritance. Their son, George Henry, would sometimes write seeking financial advice from his half-uncle, John Howes Bracher, who was managing the childrens’ inheritance from their grandfather. Both George Henry and his half uncle fully understood the financial ineptitude of their father and half brother “…I am very sorry to hear of your father’s misfortunes, but as he never could from his youth up take care of his money, I fear he will never now learn to do so. It is very trying for you and Fanny to have to apply your saved earnings to make up for your father’s unhappy losses but be sure that such filial affection will never be overlooked by him who has said ‘Honour thy father and thy mother be’. (John Howes Bracher to George Henry Bracher, Sept 1880)

 

The number of Sarah Louisa’s boarders fluctuated on a weekly basis, making it difficult at times to even pay the rent on the Victoria Terrace property. In this letter of September 1876 to Sarah Fanny, she commented on the similar financial state of her relatives, the Hesters, and lamented the fact that she was unable to help them out of their plight:

 

“…you will see how deplorably they are off….If I could have got a house full permanently I should have helped with the bills and I am very vexed about them, but you know who is in fault. As long as I keep down expenses as well as I do and keep the rent paid up I think it is best to continue as I am, now that Williamston’s are full and all the others shut up I have a better chance than ever I fancy….Old Ferguson (?) will not do the least thing for me, he is grieving with parting with his money for The Terrace and says he will sell if he can…..George paid the money into your credit at your Bank…you need not mistrust either of us I hope…”

 

By mid 1877 she was saying that she felt very overworked and had severe rheumatism, for which she was getting her shoulder ‘painted’.

 

“I am very sorry to say I have no fresh boarders…. I am struggling on from week to week in the hope of a change for the better, but I cannot go on like this much longer, for the debts will increase in spite of all my care and economy. I never had a more hair raising time”.

 

George must have suggested to his mother than she live with him in Melbourne, which placed the loving mother in something of a dilemma:

 

“..as regards Pa and George, one wants me here and the other there. I was saying to pa that I did not know what to do for the best of all of us. And he very coolly said if I was dissatisfied I could clear out and go to George and he could do for himself. I thought his remark very unfeeling, but I suppose I must bear it a little longer, because he has such easy times, he imagines I ought to be perfectly satisfied. It would be a serious thing to clear out of one’s home and sell all off to go to Melbourne till George is more settled as to his future and stronger in the chequer. I have also thought it the wiser plan to stick to what one has until there is a certainty of something better if possible……he (George) might be moving about to find a suitable place to settle down in and I should be far more lonely in Melbourne without you or him than I am here.

 

“…When you write to George try to show him that for the present it is best for me to try to live here as his pay is so low and Pa is doing nothing and if we went to Mel the bit of property would never get let and would be carried away a piece at a time. Of course, if we had any certainty however small to go to it would alter the case…”

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John Howes Bracher in England was obviously also aware of the financial plight of his half brother and sister-in-law. He was particularly concerned for the children and kept in regular touch about their portion of the inheritance:

 

“…Have just time after scribbling a letter to your father and sending him a remittance to write a few lines to you…I had a very nice letter from your brother a few weeks ago from which he appears to be getting on very nicely, but I was very grieved to hear that things are so unsatisfactory, in a pecuniary way, at home. I hope dear Fanny that your money is alright and not gone into the broker’s or speculator’s hands. I daresay you know that upon your poor sisters death – one half of your share becomes yours – I have therefore 140 pounds and some interest in hand for you and shall be pleased to keep it and send you out the interest or do whatever you like with it. This 140 pounds with the 25 pounds you have from the piano money will make up 165 pounds”.

 

Sarah Louisa struggled on with the boarding house while her husband dabbled in an increasingly bazaar array of enterprises to make a few shillings. He began a backyard cidery and in late 1879 was packing onions in fruit cases to go the Darling region. Even George Henry’s initial bout of work at Eytons had hit a sparse patch:

 

“ How trying it must be for George to be so slack in his business, it seems almost mysterious to me that every part of our small family should be so kept down and unsettled, perhaps it is to increase our faith in the providence of God and no doubt will all be for the best. Things are very slack here just now all the boarders (except Monkhouse who owes over 20 pounds) have gone up country to contracts..”

 

Perhaps to further save money, George Henry moved in with a family in Carlton. In this letter to his sister early in 1878 we get a glimpse of his personal abstemiousness as well as his growing penchant for personal publicity. This latter trait stayed with George for most of his career:

 

“…I came to live with the Townsends last night. It is a nice place and a good bath and ridiculously cheap only 10/- a week for breakfast and tea and lodgings and washing so I don’t think I can do much better…. I have only 6 months more to do now from the 7th April and I have already gained the reputation by the boss of being a better tradesman than half his journeymen ….”

 

Economic conditions in Bendigo were grim by mid 1878 and it was becoming obvious to Sarah Louisa that they had to sell-up the business:

 

“ Harvey paid me up to this day 7 pounds, 15 shillings – 6 pounds of which I sent off directly for rent, so that I have got it down to 9 pounds now. I have no more boarders and there is not much chance of any one worth having…there is no inducement for strangers to come here, every branch of business is so dull. It would be perfect madness to try to stay here any longer. We ought to have the sale before the 24th of May or early the next week..the sooner we are out of here the better now that the expense is more than the (???) Oh how I want some of my own dear children about me now, I hardly know where to begin, there is such a conglomeration of useful and useless (??).  I don’t know which way to (???), whither on the premises or not. Many things would look better here. I feel dreadfully unsettled and have a bad cold and sore throat…..your father begins now to realize his past imprudence, it is time he did…Poor Harvey (?) is very bad, he cannot lie down, I expect he is troubled too at their prospect of my leaving…it is very winterley here and I feel it too. Footscray is rather bleak I think in the winter…I think it would be better to sell early in the week after 24th.”

 

In June 1878 Sarah Louisa moved in with her son in Ryan Street, Footscray, while George Senior remained in Bendigo to finish affairs. Despite losing her house and business, Sarah Louisa’s tone of letter became considerable lighter:

 

“ The cottage is very clean and new, 2 built together and standing alone…This is quite a new life. I call George about 4am. He lights fire and chips wood for the day while I get his breakfast. Soon after 7 he leaves for Mel and till tonight he has not been home till near 11pm, so you will suppose the days have seemed extra long. I have been fully employed and shall be for some time. I am very glad for poor George’s sake that I am here for he is looking thin and no wonder…only half fed and half clothed this very inclement weather. I have lined his trousers and made him put on two shirts. he says “Ma, you’ve done me a good turn coming down for I feel stronger and better already…this I feel is sufficient recompense for all my trouble and sacrifice. I left only a few things for Pa to dispose of or bring with him…the goods weighed 25 ¼ cwt and cost 3 pound, six and three. I wish I had known the expense was so small for I would have brought several useful things that I got little or nothing for…Pa will be with us tomorrow. He seems very sorry to leave old Bendigo, I have many upsets about it too, but I cannot blame myself for the step I have taken it appears to be the best thing we could do under the circumstances. Melbourne people seem to think that Sandhurst is on its last legs.”

 

She directed her husband by letter with what he had to do before coming down:

 

“George says ask the people to wait a while for anything that is now not paid and bring what cash you can with you…George is very sorry about the sofa going for so little an (???) sale for he wanted it to sleep on….you will find co-op bills in a roll on the chimney piece. I want you to see what the bonus will be and leave then with Co-op. I have seen the cottage it is in good order and clean, better than I expected for the money, the room will be warm and snug. I hope you are getting better, come down as soon as you can….bring down dear Louie's tulips that you planted and anything else worth while. I went to the Wesleyan Church this morning, the sermon was… let not your heart be troubled, for me very suitable wasn’t it”.

 

With the family settled in Footscray, Sarah seemed to delight in regaining her role as mother and wife:

 

“ Pa is gradually getting better, but now he walks (???) from Rheumatic Gout in his foot, when that is better he will try to get something to do he says. I have abundance of employment in our little family early and late however what can’t be cured must be endured. ..George put all his 30 pounds in the bank – he is a screw. I can tell you we get on very well so far. Kate is to spend Sunday afternoon with us, she has been out twice…”

 

However, it didn’t take long for Sarah Louisa to pick fault with their new location, particularly its remoteness from the city: “…I don’t see anything very attractive here. In fact I seem to be about 200 miles up country instead of so near Melbourne.”

 

Help was not far away, because the following month - August 1878 - an unexpected letter arrived which began the next phase of Sarah and George’s colourful life:

 

“..when I came home on Tuesday from Melbourne, Mama had just opened a letter from Mrs Fraser, our bakers wife Sandhurst to say that a Mr Matthews of Echuca had written to her to ask if she could recommend a married couple, the man to take charge of a produce store and the wife to superintend a temperance hotel and she thought it might just suit us and wrote accordingly. Mama replied to it and on Saturday (??) wrote and said if we thought anything more about it, we had better to communicate with him, or one of us come up and see him, so mama has gone today to see what it is like. Mr M has a native mission farm a few miles from Echuca. I have seen him once he came to our Thursday night meeting, Sandhurst and spoke about the station, he is a rather common looking man about my height, a little stouter, but spoke like an experienced Christian. George thinks if M likes it we had better accept the offer. If we leave here George intends to keep on the house and furniture till we want it, in fact we should only take our clothes. I don’t know what he will offer, but I should think not less than 70 pounds (???) for us both and all found. There are two servants, kept cook and housemaid. “ (George Henry writing to his sister)

 

Daniel Matthews was a Wesleyan Methodist who had established the Maloga Mission Station on eight hectares of land, 24 km from Moama, Southern New South Wales, during 1874. The Aboriginal people of the Moama-Barmah area had become quite dispossessed of their land as a result of the incursion of European settlement. Maloga was one of the earliest missions and was the forerunner to the Cameragunja Mission in the 1880s, which still operates as an Aboriginal settlement today.

 

Things moved very quickly for the senior Brachers during the next few weeks, as they prepared for their new career running a tea-totalling guest house. Sarah and George travelled to Echuca to inspect the property and reported by letter to their daughter:

 

“…This is a working man’s place and I should have no trouble about the Bills for Mr Matthews them once a week and we should have a private room to ourselves. I would much rather stay with George in Footscray and it would be a far more comfortable and congenial life for me if we could do something towards housekeeping but you know my dear the cider is really nothing to depend on, tho pa is so sanguine and I really think we might get into something permanent by & bye, if we don’t try and take what offers we cannot expect anything.

 

Mr Matthews has offered me one pound per week for 6 or 12 months and would give pa his home free and commission on farm produce. I think he would be able to make more than one pound per week. When I told George of the offer, I did not know what the terms might be. He seemed very anxious for me to come up and take it if possible that he and Kate might get married and have the place to themselves for the first few months even if we do not stay longer….I am in a great fix whether to go or stay in Footscray….This is a much finer place than Footscray and a good deal more like town life. I intend taking a day in Sandhurst on my return and I may see Robert. Your letter gave me great pleasure. I hope things will turn out as you expect. I only wish it was you getting married so soon and taking the things in charge…Mrs Hester has just come over to take me to the post and then to their place…

 

“ There is a cook and housemaid kept and the table is too good for the pay, but that is not my affair. Although they say everything is overdone here, the place looks very lively to me. I feel great reluctance to walk out and leave all my things to the care and use of a stranger, in fact it will almost be like parting soul and body “

 

“ I know how anxious you are to hear what we have decided on. Well, on Saturday we wrote to Mr Matthews to say we agreed to his terms for the present and would go up on Tuesday week if all is well. I hope that it will be for the best and that it is the way the Lord would have us go. It is with great regret that we leave this comfortable and convenient, clean place…we shall take our own bedding for I could not ensure the questionable state of that belonging to the hotel. George at present intends to keep on this place for 6 months and before it expires we shall know more of our future…”

 

“…. We left Footscray before 7 yesterday A.M. Pa went as far as Kangaroo Flat and heard a lot of sad news about some of our old neighbours..Now about our prospects here, mine you know, I think we shall be able to get on for a few months you may depend I will give it a fair chance. Mr Matthews is a really good Christian but too easily guilled by designing scheming people. He seems as though he could hardly say no to anyone, even rogues and he is certainly too sanguine. The place has been so mismanaged and neglected that the business has gone to nothing, but he expects to get it back soon….I have got him to put Fred on for a few days and he is papering and colouring walls as fast as he can. Pa is busy too getting cider ready for Mr M. He will be able to do a little that way….I never left a place with more regret than I did the cottage at Footscray. I had just begun to feel at home and settled but when I saw how anxious George was for me to give this a trial, if only for a few months, I thought on the whole it was the best to do so at any cost of discomfort or grief to myself. I had a worrying time, so many things to unpack and repack…… I hope our dear boy will be happy and prosperous in life. Money is too much his ambition for he often seems mean in the extreme through the love of it. Kate is to get all she wants out of her own purse. He really begrudges buying a bedstead though. I have given him some bedding. If he goes on as he intends he will be pretty tight with K. Some girls could not put up with him on any condition. One great fault in George is that he does not regard others feelings as he ought. This I consider a very great blemish in any one…”

 

Their departure emptied the house and cleared the way for George and Catherine to get married on September 25th, 1878. The 21 and 23 year old were married in The Manse, Clarendon Street, Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne). The marriage certificate records the fathers Peter Herara as a ‘miner’ and George Bracher recorded himself as a ‘Farm Manager’ – the latest in his long string of jobs and occupations since arriving in Australia 40 years before.