TAYLOR: Stories behind the Rowville-Lysterfield Ward Names
Knox Council has chosen the name Taylor for the central ward of the three new wards in the Rowville-Lysterfield area. This is a well deserved honour for the members of the Taylor family who over many years have been highly respected in the community. The lady affectionately known as Granny Taylor arrived in the district in the early 1860s. She was then only a two year old child, Sarah Sutton, and had come to Australia from Lincolnshire, England with her parents, Michael and Martha Sutton.
The Sutton Family
In 1863 Michael Sutton took up 44 acres at the south-east corner of what are now known as Stud Road and Kelletts Road - the site of the present Lakes Estate. (The largest of the three lakes created by the developers of the Lakes Estate was named Sutton Lake by Knox Council in September 1991). Michael was a successful farmer and also worked from time to time for the Row family at Stamford Park. Frederick Row had arrived in Australia from Lincolnshire in 1846. He imported consignments of sparrows and hares from England and Michael Sutton drove these reminders of the "Old Country" on a dray from Melbourne to Rowville. Michael's wife Martha was employed as a cook at Stamford Park when large numbers of guests were present at Christmas and during the spring racing season. Sutton descendants of Michael and Martha were still farming in Mulgrave in the early 1980s.
Granny Taylor
When Martha and Michael's daughter Sarah grew up, she married John Taylor, another immigrant from Lincolnshire. They made their home on a 40 acre property on a track then known as Bluchers Road but later renamed Taylors Lane. They were a couple of strikingly different stature. John was a very tall man but Sarah was tiny. However, when John became a cripple Sarah took over the running of the farm and there was no job she could not do. For example, she raised calves and pigs, did her own slaughtering and preparation of the carcases for sale. Then she loaded them onto her cart, harnessed the horse to it and set off to deliver to butchers in Windsor, leaving Rowville at half past two in the morning. She was greatly admired for her capacity for hard work and much loved for her kindness to all. A newspaper tribute on the occasion of her 91st birthday said, "She has been a wonderful citizen and pioneer of the district". On her death in 1954 at the age of 93, practically the whole district was represented at her funeral.
Alf Taylor
Sarah and John's son Alfred carried on the farming tradition in Rowville but died as a young man. However, his son - also named Alfred -later took over the running of the family farm and continued working it until his retirement in the mid 1980s. Alf Taylor was a wonderful citizen of Rowville. He was a foundation member of the Rowville Fire Brigade and, until recently, was one of only three life members. He served as a brigade member for 37 years.
Over the years he also served on committees for Red Cross, Rowville Football Club, The Progress Association and Gymkhana. Alf died in 1995 but his widow Elva, although living in Dandenong, is still (in 1996) an active member of the Rowville Red Cross.
Continuing a tradition of service to the community into the fifth generation, Alf and Elva's elder daughter Margaret was one of the founders of the Rowville Guide Company and a dedicated leader for several years.
Bryan Power
First published in the October 1996 edition of the Rowville-Lysterfield Community News.
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