Anthony Taylor, Calven Grove

Calvin Grove road Taylors road, Waterloo Corner

Anthony and Eleanor nee Bunclerk left Torquay, England and sailed on the 8^th February 1850 from Plymouth on the ship Fatima, a vessel carrying 234 passengers.  Their two sons, William aged three and Anthony aged one were on board.  They arrived in Adelaide on 10^th June 1850.  

Anthony went to the gold diggings in the company of Mr Coombe and Rimes from Bowden.  They returned £400 richer.

In 1855, Anthony took up land in the Peachey Belt district which they developed for mixed farming.  He purchased section 3082 and 3083.  In 1864 the family home named ‘Calvengrove’ was built, costing over £300.  

The couple had seven sons and one daughter.  Being staunch Methodists the family attended Elim church, but after its closure they attended the Virginia Bible Christian Church.

Upon Anthony’s death the property was left to his wife.  On her death in April 1907 the property was left to Samuel Taylor and then transferred to Wilford George Taylor in November 1952.

The couple had the following children:

William (1845 – 1885)
Anthony (1848 – 1871)
Elizabeth  (1851 – 1920)
Richard ( 1854 – 1921)
Henry  (1856 - 1873)
John Elim  (6 June 1858 - 1935)  Councillor for MP West
George (1861 – 1934)
Samuel  (1863 - 1958)

A poem written for the Taylor family Centenary Celebrations June 10^th, 1950.

The history of the Taylor Family

‘Twas in February 1850 the Fatima sailed away
From Plymouth Harbour for this land our forebears left that day.
Came Anthony and Eleanor their children numbering two
To the land of opportunities and disappointments too.

Leaving all their loved ones and the fiends made through the ears
The departure not all happy for with joy they mingled tears
They then tossed across the oceans for four months or more I’d say
‘Til June 1th found them anchored safe in Holdfast Bay.

In 1851 there came the Gold Rush as we know
Which found Coombes, Rimes and Great Grandpa allured to Bendigo
No train or car or place was theirs to ride or drive that day,
Their only transport then was in the good old bullock dray.

‘Twas a long and tedious journey taking many weeks I guess,
One walked and drove whilst the other rode making very slow progress.
They left their wives at Bowden when they got the yen for gold,
But all their hopes were dashed indeed for fortune left them cold.

After many moths of hardship, digging, slaving and panning out,
They found this fortune-seeking harder than ‘twas talked about.
But on they plugged with sweat and toil until at last I’m told
They came back with four hundred pounds in solid, shining gold.

In ’55 the best thing – so the Taylor household felt
Was to lay their fortune out in land they saw at Peachey Belt.
The church was not neglected for about a mile away
There stood the Church of Elim where they went each Sabbath day.

A section isn’t much today to constitute a farm
IF that was all we farmers had imagine our alarm,
Yet that was all the Taylor’s had when first they cleared the rough.
But with a single-furrowed plough, one section was enough.

But as they prospered on they went and that once section grew
To several more secured from farmers Cameron and McHugh,
Haws also came into the land owned by those early hands
And North Wood too was added where old Calvengrove now stands.

Nine years were spent in those first days in walls of mud and straw
And Calvengrove was built way back in 1864.
One day whilst away from home-maybe they’d gone to town
A bullet through the door was shot, ‘magine Great Grandpa’s frown.

Now don’t be shocked, Great-Grandpa’s son – young Samuel was his name
Did sometimes do the things which brought him much deserved blame.
Hall’s owned the Para Vinery, its Syme’s land today
And Grandpa ate the Para grapes but for them did not pay.

He’d also had some ups and downs and once headfirst down he went
Right underneath the roller and came out slightly bent.
Now George he would a-wooing go when his day’s work was done
Until at last he too got hooked by sweet little Sophie Young.

If time allowed how many more things that could be told
Of oldest Grandson William now just eighty summers old.
A broken stirrup saved his life when from his horse he slipped
How truly did young William think himself by Death hand gripped.

Of that old tank rook what a lark we youngsters there to slide
E’en if the truth be told it ripped our pant’s seats open wide
Of the Afghan hawker who came inside, a cheeky dusty one
Who fled when Aunty Ellen said, ‘Lets go and get the gun’.

So now today we’re gathered her to honour those who passed on
Bequeathing to us memories for us to dwell upon
May we who live be worthy of our godly heritage
And strive for God and truth and good in this our present age.

At the centenary their 200 or so descendants celebrated at Virginia, wearing a coloured ribbon to show which child they were descendant from.  Each group of the family made a tier of the giant six tiered cake.  One descendant of each group lit the candles on that group’s tier of the cake, a total of 100.   They were blown out by Samuel Taylor, 87, the only surviving child.