Thurles - VIC

Thurles' history reflects that of many of the nearby Homestead Places in the area.

Nearby Melville Forest and other properties, once large land-holdings in their own rights, had each been subdivided from the huge Whyte brothers' Konong Wootong squatter's run in the mid 19th century. As other district squatters' fortunes waxed and waned, further subdivisions of these huge runs were made.

Following WW1 a depressed Britain wished to provide opportunities for the betterment of some of its people, in particular its returning Army Officers. The Victorian government also wished to further open up Western Victoria by breaking up the area into smaller farms. Following negotiations with Britain, in the early 1920's the Victorian Government acquired parts of Melville Forest and other large landholdings in the Western District of Victoria in order to create settlement blocks for British Indian Army officers who had returned from WW1.

Thurles is the agglomeration of two adjoining 900 acre blocks carved out of the original Melville Forest holding, purchased by two Paterson brothers who both were returning Indian British Indian Army Officers from WW1.

The area is renowned for prized fine wool, with Thurles taking out significant awards under its current owner.

Many of the nearby EO Homestead Places in the Western District of Victoria have a similar history, though following the collapse of wool prices in the Depression many of the original ex-military settlers sold up.

The original 1920's homestead has not been lived in for 30 years, but being built of hardwood and to old standards remains straight and true as it approaches its centenary.

The pictures were taken in 2005 and 2007.