Robert Ross Haverfield Memorial
Donation protected
HAVERFIELD & COLLIER. BENDIGO & ECHUCA! PLEASE HELP US TO RESTORE THIS VICTORIAN PIONEER'S LAST RESTING PLACE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
Robert, a Victorian visionary, died 130 years ago and no maintenance to his burial site has been undertaken since. His life and achievements helped to establish Victoria's journalism industry to become what it is today. A notable figure throughout the mid 1800's, Robert was a devoted family man who lived for his community. Over 100 years later, as his descendants, we feel that it is time for us to give back with a much needed restoration of his memorial site. PLEASE SEE OUR VIDEO TO LEARN WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SAVE ROBERT'S MEMORIAL INTO THE FUTURE.
Please join us on Facebook for more information and details on the life of Robert Ross Haverfield - or read the following potted history.
Bendigo Pioneer Robert Ross Haverfield
An officially 'NOTED GRAVE FOR A PERSON OF SIGNIFICANCE' lies crumbling in a Bendigo cemetery...Robert Ross Haverfield (1819-1889), a founding father of Bendigo Vic., newspaper proprietor and/or editor of (Bendigo Advertiser, Riverine Herald, McIvor News & Goulburn Advertiser, Courier of the Mines and Bendigo Daily Mail). The Bendigo Advertiser is now 165 years old. Robert was an explorer, drover, grazier, journalist and visionary. Born at Bideford, Devon, England, Robert arrived in Australia in 1838. Attracted by livestock, he drove cattle and sheep from the Albury NSW region to the area that was to become Victoria. Through his work he won the trust of local Aboriginals and learnt their language. In 1851 whilst doing a great deal of exploring work he came upon the Bendigo area before it was despoiled by the diggers, his descriptive words are quoted in George Mackay's book 'History of Bendigo'.
By late 1853 Robert had begun working with an alluvial claim near Bendigo. In a misunderstanding over licence regulations he was arrested and sentenced to prison for 24 hours, he was subsequently released after 3 or 4 hours . Angrily he renounced the diggings and invested his capital in a printing plant and along with a business partner he produced an issue of Bendigo Advertiser & Sandhurst Circular, the first newspaper published on the Victorian goldfields. Though fearless in denouncing goldfields administration, he insisted that political rights should be secured by constitutional means. His journalistic motto was 'Without Fear or Favour." Robert was the first to cross from Menindie on the Darling to Booligal on the Lachlan, and explored the Barrier Ranges (the present Broken Hill) and the Grey Ranges which extend well into Queensland, and made forays through the far north of southern Australia.
The Bendigo Advertiser obtained the first colony-wide journalistic scoop with letters from Robert describing the disastrous results of the Burke & Wills expedition. The Bendigo Advertiser had printed what is considered to be one of the greatest scoops in the history of Australian Journalism. Robert became the Secretary to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the causes of their deaths.
In Echuca, Robert became Editor and part-owner of the Riverine Herald in July 1863. Elected to Council he was forced to resign because his firm had contracted to print council advertisements. He became sub-editor of the Age newspaper in 1869. 1863 saw his marriage to Marianna Rubina Collier, they produced eight children. A Freemason at both Bendigo and later Echuca, he was popular and respected especially by his younger colleagues. At a tribute dinner to mark his 50th year in journalism, Bendigo colleagues said: 'Your pen has been a scourge to the oppressor, and has been ever foremost in suggesting, helping forward and firmly establishing the best social movements of the community in which you lived. We can look back with pride to your fearless denunciation of official incapacity and tyranny in the early days of the goldfields, when the taxes of law-abiding citizens were collected at the point of the bayonet; and with equal pride do we acknowledge the rate discriminating justice with which you have held the balance between the rights of labor and the privileges of capital".
Robert wrote for the Bendigo Advertiser almost until he died on 20 April 1889. He and his beloved wife Marianna lie together at the Back Creek Cemetery, Bendigo, Victoria.
Select Bibliography:
G. Mackay, The History of Bendigo
The Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Bendigo Advertiser
The Riverine Herald
H. Rachkind, the Freemasons of Echuca
Robert, a Victorian visionary, died 130 years ago and no maintenance to his burial site has been undertaken since. His life and achievements helped to establish Victoria's journalism industry to become what it is today. A notable figure throughout the mid 1800's, Robert was a devoted family man who lived for his community. Over 100 years later, as his descendants, we feel that it is time for us to give back with a much needed restoration of his memorial site. PLEASE SEE OUR VIDEO TO LEARN WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SAVE ROBERT'S MEMORIAL INTO THE FUTURE.
Please join us on Facebook for more information and details on the life of Robert Ross Haverfield - or read the following potted history.
Bendigo Pioneer Robert Ross Haverfield
An officially 'NOTED GRAVE FOR A PERSON OF SIGNIFICANCE' lies crumbling in a Bendigo cemetery...Robert Ross Haverfield (1819-1889), a founding father of Bendigo Vic., newspaper proprietor and/or editor of (Bendigo Advertiser, Riverine Herald, McIvor News & Goulburn Advertiser, Courier of the Mines and Bendigo Daily Mail). The Bendigo Advertiser is now 165 years old. Robert was an explorer, drover, grazier, journalist and visionary. Born at Bideford, Devon, England, Robert arrived in Australia in 1838. Attracted by livestock, he drove cattle and sheep from the Albury NSW region to the area that was to become Victoria. Through his work he won the trust of local Aboriginals and learnt their language. In 1851 whilst doing a great deal of exploring work he came upon the Bendigo area before it was despoiled by the diggers, his descriptive words are quoted in George Mackay's book 'History of Bendigo'.
By late 1853 Robert had begun working with an alluvial claim near Bendigo. In a misunderstanding over licence regulations he was arrested and sentenced to prison for 24 hours, he was subsequently released after 3 or 4 hours . Angrily he renounced the diggings and invested his capital in a printing plant and along with a business partner he produced an issue of Bendigo Advertiser & Sandhurst Circular, the first newspaper published on the Victorian goldfields. Though fearless in denouncing goldfields administration, he insisted that political rights should be secured by constitutional means. His journalistic motto was 'Without Fear or Favour." Robert was the first to cross from Menindie on the Darling to Booligal on the Lachlan, and explored the Barrier Ranges (the present Broken Hill) and the Grey Ranges which extend well into Queensland, and made forays through the far north of southern Australia.
The Bendigo Advertiser obtained the first colony-wide journalistic scoop with letters from Robert describing the disastrous results of the Burke & Wills expedition. The Bendigo Advertiser had printed what is considered to be one of the greatest scoops in the history of Australian Journalism. Robert became the Secretary to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the causes of their deaths.
In Echuca, Robert became Editor and part-owner of the Riverine Herald in July 1863. Elected to Council he was forced to resign because his firm had contracted to print council advertisements. He became sub-editor of the Age newspaper in 1869. 1863 saw his marriage to Marianna Rubina Collier, they produced eight children. A Freemason at both Bendigo and later Echuca, he was popular and respected especially by his younger colleagues. At a tribute dinner to mark his 50th year in journalism, Bendigo colleagues said: 'Your pen has been a scourge to the oppressor, and has been ever foremost in suggesting, helping forward and firmly establishing the best social movements of the community in which you lived. We can look back with pride to your fearless denunciation of official incapacity and tyranny in the early days of the goldfields, when the taxes of law-abiding citizens were collected at the point of the bayonet; and with equal pride do we acknowledge the rate discriminating justice with which you have held the balance between the rights of labor and the privileges of capital".
Robert wrote for the Bendigo Advertiser almost until he died on 20 April 1889. He and his beloved wife Marianna lie together at the Back Creek Cemetery, Bendigo, Victoria.
Select Bibliography:
G. Mackay, The History of Bendigo
The Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Bendigo Advertiser
The Riverine Herald
H. Rachkind, the Freemasons of Echuca
Organizer
Shirley M Dwyer
Organizer
Edithvale VIC
