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| On the 13th of December 1873, Johann Heinrich SCHULZ filled in an
Application for Licence for lot 117 of 160 acres (65 hectares), situated about 8 km North
East of Murtoa. At the same time, his father Johann Joachim SCHULZ applied for a Licence
for lots 115 & 116 totaling 319 acres (128 hectares). In 1874 Johann Heinrich
SCHULZ, cultivated 58 acres (23 hectares), planted it with wheat and built a 2-room log
hut. Following the death of his father on the 18th of December 1874, lots 115 & 116
transferred to him as the eldest son on the 23rd of March 1875. In the Summer of 1874/5,
his brothers helped him harvest the first crop which yielded an average of 15 bushels per
acre. In the following year, from the 3 lots they harvested 94 acres. The yield however
was only 8 bushels per acre.
Around 1876 he built for £200 ($400) a weatherboard house measuring 23 x 33 feet (7 x
10 metres), with an iron roof, 5 rooms and a passage. The original hut built by Johann
around 1873 was then used as a workmen's hut. He had also made 3 dams. One was 133 feet x
49 feet and 8 feet deep. Two others were 66 feet x 33 feet and 7 feet deep and there was
also a well near the house.
In January 1877 they harvested 131 acres of wheat, the average yield being 7 bushels
per acre. On the 16th of June 1877 Johann Heinrich applied for a Lease on lot 117. (He
still leased 160 acres at Tahara where he grew wheat and oats, but he disposed of it
around 1879 to buy more property at Murtoa). To fence the property was a condition of the
Lease. He had 81 chains of post & rail, plus 9 chain of log & brush fence on lot
117.
During 1878, J Heinrich SCHULZ took over the Lease of lot 112 in the Parish of Ashens
and the adjoining lot 127A in the Parish of Rupanyup, a total of 319 acres, from John
Gerdtz, when John's father died and left him a property near Hamilton. In 1879, Heinrich
took over the Lease of lot 114 in the Parish of Ashens and the adjoining lots 85 & 88
in the Parish of Rupanyup, a total of 214 acres. The original owner, Johanne Christiana
Kranz, wished to buy land nearer to her husband George Eckel, at Minyip 16 miles (26 km)
away. In June 1880, Heinrich did a land swap with Arthur Chapman Hately, so that they each
had land closer to their homes. |
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| Heinrich gave up lot 88 of 19 acres and received the title and a Crown
Grant for lot 118 of 14 acres. During 1883, Heinrich received Crown Grants on lots 112,
115, 116, 117 & 127A, and in November 1884, he received Crown Grants on lots 85 and
114. By 1892, Heinrich owned the following lots - 112 (including 127A), 114 (including
85), 115, 116, 117 & 118, totaling 1230 acres (496 hectares).
Around 1898, Heinrich's son Carl purchased lots 86 & 113, a total of 219 acres from
Wilhelm Krause, and in 1926 he bought lot 119 of 320 acres from James Hamilton. About this
time, half of lot 112 (and half of lot 127A) were sold and later a small corner of lot 119
was sold. [ 1 hectare = 2.471 acre ] |
Land Lots at The Gums |
| Around 1910, channels from the Wimmera River came through the farms near
Murtoa. Johann Heinrich SCHULZ together with Johann Hermann Konig and Arthur Sprache asked
Mr McNabe & Mr Welsh of the 'State Rivers', to keep the channels straight and not zig
zag. The weather board house was built roughly where Hudson Road is now. Half the house
had to be moved to make way for the road when it came through. Two rooms were then added
on the south side. During 1913 the old wooden house was pulled down and in it's spot, Mr
Charley McDonald built a 4-bedroom solid brick home. The red bricks from Stawell, came by
rail to Murtoa and were then carted to the property over 3 days by horse and wagon. The
new home with 12 feet (3.65 metre) Winderlich ceilings and stained glass at major
doorways, cost £1500 ($3000) and was finished just before war started in 1914.
Sugar Gums, native to South Australia, were planted on the property to act as wind
breaks. From around that time, the property became known as The Gums.
In July 1948, Carl's daughter June and her husband Wallace HUDSON went to live and work
at The Gums. In 1976, the property went out of the family when Mr & Mrs Kevin Warner
took over as new owners. However The Gums returned to the Schulz family in August 1986,
when Betty and her husband Edgar Holtkamp bought the property. Sadly, Betty passed away on
the 20th of February 1989.
The Gums around 1960 |
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