The Early Days of Strathmerton

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In 1847, Ben Boyd applied for lease of the area he called the ’Strathmerton Run’. The Run’s northern boundary followed 22 miles of the Murray River and bounded by Broken Creek to the South. Once he procured the lease he didn’t want it and left his brother, Edward in charge. 

In the 1850’s, the government “Squatters Map’ showed where land was available and the squatters dribbled North. In 1861, the Strathmerton Run was subdivided. James Rutherford took over Strathmerton West comprising of 64,000 acres and Thomas Brown the eastern area of 128,000 acres. James Rutherford built ‘Bajanna’ in 1862 and George Currie built his homestead, ‘Coonanga’ in 1872/73.

In 1869, the selectors arrived to take up land under the provision of the Land Act – freehold and under licence. The selectors began to fence their properties and one by one the squatters moved away.

In 1872, the Bearii school was opened and in 1876, the first hotel was built a mile and a half east of Strathmerton township today. Within a year all the land within 2 miles of the township was selected. Conditions were tough with many wild horses and thousands of hares. An unofficial gun club was created to help deal with this and soon became the first social gathering in the area. Grain crops began to do well and transporting the heavy loads to distant rail depots took about a week. Bob Callander and George Reynoldson successfully petitioned for a rail line to Numurkah, making this task easier. 

1878 was the year of the biggest influx of selectors into the Strathmerton area.

Significantly on May 26, 1879 amendments were made to the Land Act and the shire (Shepparton) was severed from the domination of Echuca. The Strathmerton Post Office opened on September1, 1879.

On August 18, 1886 the first school was opened in a room of a house occupied by Mrs. S. Northill. The first teacher, Mrs Jan Cope drove from her home in Mywee in a sulky. Also that year, auctioneer George North advertised the first sale of the township’s subdivision for 112 pound per acre. 

Early in 1887, the Bank of Australasia opened a branch in town and a creamery was built and opened at the rear of Brown, Corke & Co’s general store. On July 5, 1887 the first steps were taken to build a town hall. A committee was formed and it was decided the hall was to be build on Reynoldson’s land. Money was raised through money musters and 1pound ticket sales. At an August 9 meeting, Mr R.C Farrell arrived with plans and specifications which were quickly approved.

For the past 10 years, worshippers of all denominations would meet at farmhouses and later at Stritch’s store, on the site of the current hall, for their weekly worship. Father O’Connor from Numurkah began holding regularly services at Strathmerton. The local Methodists raised money and built a church on a site owned by Mr E Maidment.

In 1888on the arrival of the railway a Strathmerton Township PO opened near the station.

During the late 1940’s and early 1950’s the irrigation channels and drains for the Marray Valley irrigation area reached Strathmerton and Ulupna.