DOLMANS IN MERINO AND MELBOURNE

This is a letter transcribed by Penny Ferguson nee Dolman ( Sussex Dolman). It relates to the Dolmans that have the links on the right of this page Dolmans in Australia and in Dolmans in Australia (2). Thanks to Penny for sharing this.

P.O. Box 201

Civic

King Island 7256

19 February 1985

Dear Dr Dolman,

The other day I had a telephone call from one Noel Taggers who I understand is patient of yours and upon your learning he was coming to King Island you asked him to contact one by the name of Dolman – with a view to learning something of antecedents, place of origin etc. I am afraid I am a bit short on family history but will try and fill in a few details for you in the hope they will be of use to you in piecing

to-gether some sort of family picture.

From what I have read and heard, my grandfather William Dolman came out from Bristol England in charge of some cattle consigned to the Henty Family of Portland Vic in 1837. ie: 3 years after Henty’s settled there. I understand that he worked for Henty’s on Muntham Station between Coleraine (sp) and Casterton Vic some 60 odd miles from Portland. He was in charge of the cattle part of the enterprise. He subsequently engaged in butchering, grazing, livery stables (2 in Hamilton and 1 in Coleraine). He married Miss Euylia Wombwell of Merino. She was 17 years old and he was a good deal older-they went to Coleraine Vic, reared a family of 6 boys and 4 girls – their affairs prospered and the main activities of the family were butchering livery stables 3 grazing and hotel interests. William predeceased Euylea ( his spelling) by a good number of years. She lived to be an astute business women of sterling character. The 32 eldest boys traded as Dolman Bros for a number of years. My father who was the 2^nd eldest boy was one of the partners. He had a family of 9 children, his wife died and he remarried, I am the only issie of the second marriage. David is the youngest of the 3 partners and the 3^rd eldest boy had 8 children. Both he and the eldest borther William N Dolman were noted horseman and athletes. 3 of the 4 girls married, 2 died without issue, the eldest later Mrs Macintosh of Wagga Wagga had 3 children : 1 boy Charles died fairly recently at 92 years. One daughter Queenie, ( Mrs. Milne is alive and well at 94 years, the other daughter Nancy died a few years ago leaving one son Edgerton Mightman. My father’s families are all deceased of course and I am one step mother the only survived of his children. At one time there were 54 Dolmans in Colermaine Vic all descendents of the original William and Euylia, seemingly a brief and meteroritic rise. It is understood that Grandmother Euylia was a descendent of the ? family of Wombwell. There was also a Wombwell family in Colermaine, not many of that side of the family left now. I hardly think it necessary to go into details of the family branches, as after all you may not be interested. My 1^st cousin Joe E Dolman a retired Gov Land Valuer now a stud cattle breeder at Glen Thompson traveled overseas 2 years ago and visited Bristol where he found numerous Dolmans. I don’t know if he established any claims to relationships. IN my youth the name Dolman was not common the only one we knew of was an engine driver at Seymour Vic. I don’t think the families ever contacted one another. The Melbourne telephone book now has 20 Dolmans listed (2 of them are grandnephews) I can remember when there were none. There was Colonel Dolman in Adelaide just after WW2. I never met him and I don’t know if he was any relation. I think that is about all I have to relate about my side of the family. My wife who comes from Warnambool Vic married me in 1940 and we came here after the war Aug 1946. I was a clerk with the National Bank of Asia Ltd. Having had a rural background we thought to try The War Service Settlers Scheme – out of 176 settlers we are one of the 16 couples let. Apart from heavy freight charges and a few other more or less “minor non physical, complaints consider King Island a delightful place to live, possibly the soundest grass growing area in Australia.

Hope I have not bored you unduly and that you can decipher this scribble.

Kindest regards

Sincerely

Jack Dolman