Andrew Ingram McGavin

  General Notes:

Andrew is believed to have come to Australia sometime prior to 1853 as he is recorded as having signed "The 1853 Bendigo Goldfields Petition" at that time. He is also recorded in the Ovens Directory of 1857 as being "Andrew McGavin, Dairyman, Hurdle Flat". He had various other occupations including drayman, carter and farmer.

It is believed that Andrew purchased his first property on Hurdle Creek at what would have been the first land sale in this area in 1858. The property was on the southern side of the creek, overlooking the present existing bridge. He constucted a substantial weatherboard home and large farm barns. At a later sale he purchased 460 acres on the King River to which he gave the name "Millbank". Here he constructed a large double brick residence with bricks hand made and burnt on the property. He also established a saw mill and cut his own timber, with the exception of the Murray pine flooring which was milled near the Murray River. The house still stands to this day.

While the house was under construction, Andrew dismantled his main barn on the Hurdle Creek propery and re-erected it at Millbank. To this he built his stables and later a hop kiln. A well was sunk about midway between the house and the river bank. Some years later a hand operated piston pump brought water from the river to the kitchen door. When his children were older Andrew sold this property to Alexander Moyer Simpson.

Andrew was engaged in horse breeding and raced his horses at the local tracks. Some anecdotal history suggests that Andrew lost his money due to his involvement with racehorse, and that he had something of a reputation for a liking for whiskey and women.

Andrew was one of the first men in Oxley to possess a threshing plant and his machine which was known as the "Alabama", was in great demand in those days. These were transportable but required power to drive them which was provided by steam engines.

Andrew eventually went to live with his son William Thomas, his wife Julia, and their children at Morven, New South Wales, where they ran a hotel.

Rhonda and Arthur Richardson have provided this research.
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Andrew married Charlotte Jones on 4 May 1854 in Free Presbyterian Church, East Melbourne, Melbourne, , Victoria, Australia. (Charlotte Jones was born on 31 Jul 1827 in Gresford, Wrexham, , Denbigh, Wales, died on 29 Mar 1897 and was buried in Oxley Cemetery, Milawa, , Victoria, Australia.)