Fraser (Alexander & Helen Branch)

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NameFraser (Alexander & Helen Branch)DescriptionAlexander Fraser was born 1804, Ross Shire, Scotland, to John and Barbara Fraser (nee Gillanders).

In 1838, Alexander married Helen (Ellen) Munro, daughter of Hector and Janet Munro (nee Nimmo).

The following year they arrived in Australia, and came to work at Macquarie Valley (Albion Park) on a clearing lease as part of an emigration scheme.

Many Scotch settlers came to the area as part of this scheme, and the Macquarie Valley was largely cleared by them. They built their huts of cabbage tree and the locals referred to the area as the Scotch Row. A clearing lease allowed families to live rent free for a period of six years on the condition they clear the land of trees and scrub.

The Fraser family were renowned dairymen and contributed much to the progress of dairying in Shellharbour. Alexander was on the committee to establish a dairy factory at Albion Park and his son John was elected as one of the directors of the Albion Park Butter Factory.

Alexander and Helen had a very large family. Their eldest son John was born just after they arrived in 1839. The family first settled at Albion Park near the butter factory in Calderwood Road. Later the Alexander and Helen moved to ‘Lake View’ farm, Tongarra.

John Fraser b.1839 married Marion McGill and farmed at ‘Brushgrove Farm’, Calderwood for many years. John was a Director and Chairman of the Shellharbour Steam Navigation Company, and Chairman of the first Illawarra Cooperative Central Dairy Company. He served as Alderman and Mayor of Shellharbour Municipality for many years, and was held in high esteem by the community who built a monument to his memory at Croom General Cemetery that was unveiled by Archibald Campbell MP in June 1903, shortly after his death.

John and Marion’s son Hector, carried on farming at ‘Brushgrove Farm’ and at Tongarra, until 1923 when he and his wife Hilda (nee Dunster) and their family moved to ‘Seaview’ farm at Killalea, where they continued dairy farming. Hilda later renamed the farm Killalea Farm after a chance meeting with Patrick Killalea, the son Edward and Maria Killalea who farmed the area in the 1860's.

Hector and Hilda's son, John McNevin Fraser was two years old when the family moved to Killalea. He eventually took over the farm, which had a milking herd of about 60, and another 30 dry stock. In 1956, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) purchased the property to build an explosives plant. The venture never went ahead and John was asked to remain on the property as manager.

Concrete slabs of the dairy, feed house, cattle trough, dry stone walls, and remnants of the garden are all that remain of Killalea farm today.

External LinkBirths Fraser 1869Births Fraser 1870Births Fraser 1871Births Fraser 1873Births Fraser 1875Picnic and Presentation 1878The Late Mr A Fraser 1884Death Alexander Fraser 1884Obituary Helen Fraser 1887The Late Mrs Fraser 1887The Mayor of Shellharbour 1888Wedding at Albion Park 1898Death of Mr John Fraser 1901Late Mr John Fraser J.P. 1901Unveiling a Monument 1903Early Illawarra 1910Reminiscences of Illawarra Pioneers of Albion Park Series No 63 - The Fraser Family 1924Obituary Mr C Fraser 1925Obituary Mr D Fraser 1928Death Hector Fraser Snr 1933Late Mrs Fraser 1934Early Land Settlement in Illawarra 1934Obituary Mr Alex Fraser 1941Obituary Mr Alex Fraser 1941Obituary Mr H.G. Fraser 1948

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Fraser (Alexander & Helen Branch)