Family Stories
Life in Australia:
James Dripps, son of Samuel Dripps & Margaret Little, arrived in Victoria about 1855, and was farming on 70 acres he purchased at Barfold in parish Emberton when he married Martha Jane Elliott on 28 February 1867 at Fryerstown Presbyterian Church. On 1 Feb 1870 James selected an adjoining 198 acres ( lot16F, sec 4, parish Emberton) and received his crown grant for this block in July 1880. For some years he was a Councillor for Metcalfe Shire.
Around 1887 they bought a 557 acre farm at Terrick Terrick West (lots 26 & 27a), just south of Timms Lake, near Pyramid Hill about 1887. They called this farm Sylvaterre, meaning wooded earth. They had cattle, sheep & planted crops. James bred Clydesdale horses and advertised his stallion Pride of the North in 1893 for a 2 pounds stud fee. He was active in the A & P Society. They later moved to Albert St, Pyramid Hill.
children -
Mary Margaret Jane - b 25 Nov 1867
Samuel James - b 22 Aug 1869 m Jane Johnston Reddie
Joseph Elliott - b 1 Apr 1871 - m Fanny Newton
John Little - b 25 May 1873
William Gregory - b c1875 m Martha Vivien Twigg
Ellen Anne - b 25 Feb 1877 m W E Clark
Thomas Little - b 1879 m Julia Clarke
# Robert John -b c1881. m. Mary Ethel Champion
Margaret Jane - b 5 Oct 1883 m William McLaren

You and Your Family:

Joseph Elliott Dripps (b 1 april 1871 Emberton) married Fanny Agnes Newton (born 6 March 1867 at Moolap, dau of Robert Newton & Sarah Cavill) on 25 April 1895 at the Christ Church of England, Echuca. The family lived in Pyramid Hill where Joe operated Livery Stables in Barber St ( the site of Colin Hill Motors garage) and they also ran a mixed farm about a mile east of Bald Rock school. A big flood hit the town in 1909, swamping the house & stables along with most of the town. Families evacuated their homes to camp at the railway station & showgrounds.
In better times the family enjoyed picnics at Mt Hope, Kow Swamp, Gunbower Island. Joe tried other enterprises. In july 1910, he tendered to supply gravel for the Pyramid Hill schoolyard. When the livery stable business slowed down, Joe bought a T-model Ford for hire. He sold the farm and business in 1921, and moved to St Kilda. Joe died on 30 June 1934 at East Melbourne. Fanny died on 29 May 1955 at Eltham
children -
Mabel Sarah b 7 April 1898 at Pyramid Hill m John (Jack) Skene Fletcher Blow.
Jack and Mabel had a cafe & tearoom selling confectionery, fruit and vegetables in Victoria St, Pyramid Hill. They had a confectionery shop in Orrong Rd, Caulfield from 1921, and then bought a hotel in Clifton Hill in the mid-1920s which they ran for 21 years, then bought another hotel in Eltham.

Life Before Australia:
Martha Jane Elliott, dau of Joseph Elliott & Mary Matthews, sailed with a brother to Victoria on the Donald Mackay at the age of 17 arriving in 1863.

I have been unable to find anything on Mary Ann Margaret or Ann.
Only going on family information. When Thomas (Drury) Mulder died told 2 nuns attended the church service but they were from the order of silence. Goodness knows. The info came from Tom's son. Seems they arrived in a taxi and left same way. Of course that means they were in Brisbane. Church told me they would be buried under their proper names. We did come across a Margaret Drury (think it was) music teacher in Hay.
Henry jnr. was supposed to be in Longreach as well but not sure about that but I do have a photo of him which he sent to G'dad and Peter and on the back he has written 'From Your Loving Brother Harry' . We also found a War Record for a Henry Drury, dates all matching in 1915. Gives his wife as Edna Jane Drury. 40 yrs, Butcher of Darlington NSW. Comparing the war photo to the one we have there is a good likeness.