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From: "John Edler" <>
Subject: Re: Tongarra
Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 17:46:52 +1000


Regarding the naming of Tongarra, the following extracts may be of some
interest.

"South Coast Times" January 26, 1959

"MEMORIES OF FINE ALBION PARK FAMILY.
.....................................
TONGARRA
Another contemporary breeder linked by marriage to the McGills with also
notable dairy cattle was Mr William Moles of Tongarra, an early settler who
called his farm Tongarra, a name later applied to the whole of his
neighbourhood.
He became one of the great men of the Albion Park district.

"Green Meadows" Centenary History of Shellharbour Municipality' by W.A.
Bayley
Page 68-69: "However, a school conducted at Moles' by Miss Mackenzie in 1872
received a grant of books, maps and equipment and the teacher was paid 48
pounds per annum, the school being made provisional. The school was at
Tongarra at the foot of the mountain."

[This information seems to have come from the following newspaper item but
there is no mention of Tongarra.
"Illawarra Mercury" October 8, 1872
MACQUARIE RIVER
EDUCATIONAL - The petition alluded to in my last as being about to be
presented to the Council of Education, requesting that body to take the
school conducted by Miss Mackenzie, at Mr Moles', under its control as a
Provisional School, has had the desired effect, and Miss Mackenzie is now in
receipt of a salary of 48 pounds per annum from the Council. The school has
been furnished with the necessary books, maps &c., which will enable the
teacher to discharge her duties with credit to herself and advantage to her
pupils.]

Page 104: "An outstanding citizen of Tongarra was William Moles born in 1829
in Ireland,who arrived at Shellharbour in 1841. He married a daughter of
Andrew McGill, purchased a farm and went to reside at Tongarra in 1858. He
died in 1911.

"Land Between Two Rivers" a historical and pictorial survey of Shellharbour
Municipality by Jim Derbyshire and Dianne Allen.
Page 36: "WILLIAM MOLES
In 1858 William purchased 222 acres at Tongarra and established a small
farm there with his wife and family.
Bushfires swept through his Tongarra property in 1909. He died in 1911,
leaving "Toongla" to his two daughters - Barbara and Marion."

Page 70: "The coal was used to operate the machinery at the Tongarra
Creamery which opened the same year (as coal mine 1893) and was located on
the main road on William Moles' property."

Page 122 & 123: "TONGARRA.
The farming families at Tongarra were settled along two mountain spurs
coming from the Illawarra range and sloping down on either side to Macquarie
Rivulet.....
A small school operated at William Moles' farm from the 1870's until the
Council of Education purchased two acres of land from B.M.Osborne and a
school was built in 1895. By 1900 there were 30-40 pupils enrolled and
reached 50 at tis peak - the school closed on the 11th February, 1920....
While Tongarra has always been a place of beautiful scenery, it has
experienced severe bushfires during droughts. A grim reminder appeared in a
local newspaper report in January 1909, it stated that
'Properties affected by the fire were Messrs Fraser, Thomas, Gower,
Hazelton, E.Rogan, J.Rogan, Fowler, Graham, Flitcroft, Moles, Falloon,
McMillan and Walker.
The worst news came from Tongarra where the fire first originated in
Tongarra House, occupied by H.G.Fraser was completely destroyed."

"Parliamentary Return of Landholders 1885" Transcribed from microfiche
PARLIAMENTARY RETURN OF LANDHOLDERS 1885
Page: 223
Name of Holding: Tungarra
Post Town of Holding: Albion Park
Name of Occupier: Moles W.
Area: 389
No of Horses: 2
No. of Cattle: 200
No. of Sheep:
No. of Pigs: 8

Regards

Margaret

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