The Chaffey brothers
Although, there were other white settlers in the area prior
to their arrival, the Chaffey brothers are recognised as
the founders of Renmark.
The Canadian born George and William Chaffey were invited
to Australia by Alfred Deakin (then a minister in the Victorian
Colonial Government) to create an irrigation colony at Mildura.
The project was delayed due to political disputes and in
the meantime an agreement for the establishment of an irrigation
colony at Renmark was signed with the SA Government on 14
February 1887.
George Chaffey born 28 January 1848 at Brockville, Ontario
and his brother, William Benjamin born 21 October 1856 were
the sons of George and Anne nee Legoe. In 1878 George snr
and William Benjamin moved to Riverside near Los Angeles
to join in the Santa Ana River irrigation settlement. Their
reports encouaged George jnr to join them. The large profits
that flowed from this project prompted George jnr and William
to become partners in new irrigation projects. These were
based upon the purchase of land and water rights by the
Chaffeys at a low price, and resale to settlers in small
blocks, with an irrigation company to distribute water on
a non-profit basis.
Pictured right: The Chaffey brothers - (L-R): Charles,
George, William
Thirty thousand acres from the Bookmark Station lease was
granted to the Chaffeys. Vineyards and fruit blocks slowly
emerged throughout the district and the town of Renmark
was born. The concept soon spread far and wide in the upper
Murray region of South Australia and all the settlements
along this section of the river owe their origins to irrigation.
The
Renmark project was largely managed from 1888 by a younger
brother, Charles Francis (1859-1934). He was keen to settle
in Renmark and so brought out his wife Ella and the first
of what would be a family of six children. After a stay
at Paringa, they chose a 64 hectare plot of land in Renmark
named Olivewood. In 1904 the family left to visit
Canada and while away the Riverland suffered a poor harvest
and the bank foreclosed on Charles Chaffey. Olivewood
is now managed by the National Trust. Charles was not the
only Chaffey remembered in Renmark. His wife, Ella wrote
children's books including one published in 1896 called,
The Youngsters of Murray Home. It dealt with the
lives being lived at Olivewood by her six children.
Pictured right: Olivewood
The irrigation settlements in SA and Victoria grew out of
drought and became the food bowl of Australia. Ironically
the greed for water in the second half of the 20th century
that has seen governments issue licences for more water
than the Murray-Darling can produce plus the drought of
the beginning of the 21st century may see the demise of
these settlements!
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