Home  |  Pioneers  |  Contact Us |  Copyright/Disclaimer

Abner Haylock
"Coonerang" 1902

Submitted by Margaret Haylock, <yandra-at-snowy.net.au>

John and Anne Haylock a farming family from Thurlow (near Haverhill) Suffolk, England landed in Australia on 24th August 1852. Their family of seven included Abner who was born in 1845.

They made their way onto the goldfields of Victoria and made their home on a 96 acre allotment which they purchased adjoining the village of Kingston which is east of Ballarat.

On the death of their parents in the mid 1860's their, by then mainly grown up family, went their various ways.

Abner went into the carrying business and married at Campbelltown in 1867.

By 1878 he had become successful enough to go up into the Riverina and buy land at Gunbar (between Hay and Griffith). He called this property "Kingston Park"' and its eventual size was 16,000 acres.

Due to the strictures caused by "the great drought" of 1902 he purchased "Coonerang" (midway between Cooma and Nimmitabel) as relief country.

From the diary of Alice Haylock Oct 5th 1902 - "father has bought a place near Cooma called "Coonerang", Arthur and Edgar are up there now with all the stock off "Kingston Park" and "Thurlow" (a block out near Booligal).

April 27th 1903. "Last Friday week we got a very agreeable surprise; just after tea Arthur turned up having come from "Coonerang" on his push bike, we were delighted to see him. He stayed a week and Wilton (a brother-in-law) and he started back again last Friday."

Abner's eldest son, Arthur (Arthur John, born East Charlton, Vic 1873; Died Cooma 1957) was responsible for running "Coonerang" but he alternated between the two places until 1920.

1920 was a watershed year: Abner Haylock died. The Riverina country was sold and Arthur concentrated on, and consolidated his holdings on the Monaro. By purchasing adjoining country "Coonerang" was built up to 5000 acres from the original 2000. Kaludah of 6000 acres was bought in 1930. This became Charlie's. "Springfield", 5000 acres, was purchased in 1934. This became Arthur's (born Hay 1911, died Cooma 2002). "Manaroo" 8000 acres was bought in 1937. Arthur Snr moved from "Coonerang" to "Manaroo" and Jack (John McGregor, the youngest son of the family) continueded on at "Coonerang".

Arthur senior's first wife Flora died from cancer in 1920. He remarried in 1923 to Olive Welch. The elder son in this family, Barney, (Abner Edgar) was killed in a truck accident in 1947 at the age of 22. Gordon, the younger son, took over part of "Manaroo" which he called Avoca

The balance of "Manaroo" was sold to wind up the estate on his death in 1957.