Beneath our feet lie the Foundations of Strangway Farm. These bluestone footings are all that remain of a once-thriving homestead. Built in 1842, Strangway Farm was more than just a residence. It was a hub of everyday life. It was a site of family celebration.
But there is more to the Foundations of Strangway Farm. It was also a resonant site of cross-cultural contact. The Kulin people used this area as a pit stop on hunting expeditions. They would eat, sleep, and share knowledge here.
William Thomas, Assistant Protector of Aborigines, called this place home. He lived here from 1839 to 1867. Thomas’s wife often cooked cabbage, meat, and bread for large groups of Aboriginal people. Among them were William Barak and Billibellary.
The Foundations of Strangway Farm hold stories of kindness. The Thomas family nursed Billibellary’s son, Simon Wonga, when he hurt his foot. Billibellary later named his baby daughter Susannah to honor Mrs. Thomas.
Thomas was seen as an ally by many members of the Kulin Nations. They called him Marminata, meaning good father. The Foundations of Strangway Farm remind us of his efforts. These efforts were to protect the Wurundjeri people.
But sadness also touched the Foundations of Strangway Farm. Thomas’s teenage daughter, Suzanna, tragically drowned in a nearby waterhole. His journal entries from that time are filled with grief. He wrote of his dismay and distraction. He mourned the awful dispensation of providence.
The Melbourne Courier reported the coroner’s inquest. It declared Suzanna had accidentally drowned while trying to get water. Just two days after burying his daughter, Thomas recorded another death. Little Susannah, Billibellary’s granddaughter, was gone too.
These deaths cast a pall over Strangway Farm. Even now, visiting the Foundations of Strangway Farm evokes a sense of sorrow. Thomas’s grief stays with me.
It is easy to miss the Foundations of Strangway Farm. Many people walk right past them. They head towards the basketball court or playground. But these ruins tell a powerful story. They speak of cross-cultural contact. They speak of tragedy. They speak of a life lived on this land. The Foundations of Strangway Farm offer a glimpse into Melbourne’s past.