The Pattemores 1907 – 1948

The Pattemore family of New South Wales moved to the Maleny district in 1906-08. John Robert (JR) Pattemore was born on 7 August 1850 in England. His parents emigrated to New South Wales in 1855, and raised their family at Ulladulla, New South Wales, where Mr Pattemore worked as a market gardener. JR trained as a butcher. He married Emily Craddock Organ in 1871 and in 1879 he, Emily and their young family moved to Tilba Tilba, where JR worked as a butcher. They later moved to Central Tilba where they operated both a butchery and a property called Myrtle Vale. They raised four sons and three daughters. Harriet Eliza b 1871, Emily Elizabeth b 1872, William John (Bill) b 1875, Albert Aaron b 1878, Ethel Beatrice b 1880, Ernest Edward b 1883, and Herbert Stanley (Stan) b 1885.

William-J,-Harriett,-Emily-C,-Herbert-S,-JR,-Emily-,-Ernest

According to family folklore, the 1902 drought was so severe that the Pattemore family decided to move to a farming area with more reliable rainfall. The Blackall Range in Queensland, then being promoted for its dairying opportunities, was a perfect choice.

The Pattemores sold their New South Wales interests in 1906 and in 1906-07 two of JR’s sons, Bill and Stan, purchased 5 Maleny farm blocks for the Pattemore family – one for their father and one for each of the four sons. Title to portion 1257, the site on which Fairview was soon constructed, was registered in the name of John Robert Pattemore in September 1907. The block comprised 154 acres, much of it bordered by Obi Obi Creek.

Fairview was erected by the Pattemore brothers on JR’s block in 1907, with JR and Emily following them to Maleny in 1908. Robert and Emily arrived by ship into Brisbane in 1907. Unfortunately, Emily Pattemore contracted rheumatic fever around this time and was incapacitated for the rest of her life. Two of Emily’s widowed daughters came up from New South Wales to look after their mother.

By 1907 all of Robert Pattemore’s sons were farming at Maleny. Bill Pattemore also retained his interest in the Thynne and Pattemore sawmill on Thynne’s homestead block at Maleny. For some years there was also a mill on Fairview.

JR Pattermore operated his Maleny property as a dairy farm based on the share-farming principle. A share-farmer’s house called “Mosman” was built in 1908/9. For some years Ernest helped run the farm on Fairview, but in 1923 moved to Nambour. Albert returned to butchering, first at Cooroy and later in Brisbane, where Pattemores Meats are still proudly operating to this day. Bill had moved to Cooroy about 1920 and by 1924, Stan was the only son remaining in Maleny, where he was farming his own property, Forest Lodge (now on North Maleny Road) north of his father’s property. Fairview continued as a dairy farm, mostly with a share-farmer.

John Robert Pattemore retired from farming in 1914 but continued milking a few cows at Fairview and growing corn until the end of his life in 1947. On his retirement, the farm was run mainly by share-farmers. In JR’s latter years his son Stan took on responsibility for the home farm, cultivating the corn and any farm work. His sisters continued to look after the house and their parents. Following Emily Pattemore’s death at nearly 87 years in 1937, her husband remained on his farm, and in August 1941 celebrated his 91st birthday as Maleny’s oldest resident. Following his death on 10 January 1947, title to his farm was transferred out of the Pattemore family in August 1948. JR and Emily are buried at the Witta Cemetery, just outside Maleny.

Pattemore Family

JR Pattemore was born in Somerset England in 1850, the son of John and Elizabeth Pattemore. The family came to Australia in 1855 when JR was 5 years old, and settled on the south coast of NSW. JR married Emily Craddock Organ in Ulladulla in 1871. He and Emily moved to Maleny in 1906, where JR established a productive dairy farm. He lived at Fairviewuntil he died in 1947 aged 96, as Maleny’s oldest resident.

John Robert Pattemore1850–1947

Emily Organ was born in Wollongong NSW in 1851, the daughter of William Organ and Mary Ann Craddock. She married John Robert Pattemore in 1871 in Ulladulla. They had 7 children born in NSW between 1871 and 1885, all of whom eventually moved to Queensland. Emily suffered poor health for much of her life, and required considerable care while living at Fairview. She died in Maleny in 1938 aged 86.

Emily Craddock Organ1851–1938

Harriet Pattemore, the first child of JR and Emily Pattemore, was born in Ulladulla NSW in 1871. She married Joseph Poole in Tilba Tilba NSW in 1894. They had 6 children, born between 1894 and 1913. In 1914 the family moved from Bermagui NSW to Forest Glen, Qld, where Joseph was a fruit farmer. He died in 1931. Harriet lived for many years in Nambour and then Mooloolaba, where she called her home “Ulladulla”. She died in 1965 aged 94.

Harriet Eliza Organ Pattemore1871–1965

Emily Pattemore, the second daughter of JR and Emily Pattemore, was born in Ulladulla NSW in 1872. She married Harry Bate in Central Tilba NSW in 1899. They had 6 children, born between 1900 and 1912. The family moved to Maleny in 1908. Harry worked as a carpenter in Maleny, where they lived in Tamarind Street. After Harry died in 1916 Emily stayed in Maleny, where she was a midwife and assisted in the care of her elderly parents. Emily married Aaron Farmer Fitch in 1933. After JR died in 1948 she moved to Mooloolaba, and died in 1960 aged 88.

Emily Elizabeth Pattemore1872–1960

Bill Pattemore, the first son of JR and Emily Pattemore, was born in Milton NSW in 1875. He married Lilly Woon in Alstonville NSW in 1904. They had 8 children born between 1904 and 1924. Bill lived briefly in Newrybar, where he was a butcher. He bought land in North Maleny in 1906, which he sold in 1909. He bought a house in Maleny in 1910 near the sawmill he ran with Ted Thynne. He sold his house in 1917 and started a taxi business in Tewantin. Bill later moved to Brisbane, where he died in 1955 aged 79.

William John Pattemore1875–1955

Albert Pattemore, the second son of JR and Emily Pattemore, was born in Ulladulla NSW in 1878. He established a butchering business in Central Tilba. He married Jessie Mercer in Moruya in 1902. The family moved to Newrybar NSW, where Albert had a farm and worked as a butcher. He and Jessie had 7 children, born between 1904 and 1919. Albert bought land in North Maleny in 1906, where he ran a dairy until 1914. He moved to Brisbane and worked as a carpenter, then to Cooroy in about 1922 where he was a fruitgrower. His final move was to Inglewood in about 1925 where he ran a butchering business. He died in a shooting accident in Goondoowindi in 1930, aged 52.

Albert Aaron Pattemore1878–1930

Ethel Pattemore (on right), the fifth child of JR and Emily Pattemore, was born in Tilba Tilba NSW in 1880. She married Henry Charles Mercer in Central Tilba in 1901. Ethel had six children between 1902 and 1917.
Ethel is pictured here with Emma Sawtell (the sister of Lily Pattemore, who was Bill Pattemore’s wife).
Henry died in 1935 and Ethel then married Samuel Forsyth in Ipswich in 1938. After Samuel died in 1939, Ethel moved to Fairview to care for her father. After her father died in 1948 she moved into Maleny township. She died in Toowoomba in 1968, aged 88.

Ethel Beatrice Pattemore1880–1968

Ernest Pattemore was the sixth child of JR and Emily Pattemore, and was born in Tilba Tilba NSW in 1883. He married Blanche Cork in 1916 in Brisbane and they had two children, Arthur (born in Brisbane in 1917) and Emily (born in Maleny in 1923). Ernest helped his father run the dairy, initially living at Fairviewand then, after he was married, at the share farmers cottage, Mosman. He moved to Nambour in about 1925 where he worked as a carpenter for about 25yrs before moving to Maroochydore. Ernest died in 1963, aged 79.

Ernest Edward Pattemore1883–1963

Stan Pattemore was the seventh child of JR and Emily Pattemore, and was born in Tilba Tilba NSW in 1885. He married Charlotte Butterfield in Brisbane in 1909. They had seven children born between 1911 and 1922. Charlotte died in 1942. Stan then married Vivian Kantor, and later Evelyn Brier. Stan was a dairyman and farmer in North Maleny and also officiated in the Baptist and Methodist church. After his father died in 1948 Stan moved to Brisbane where he was a builder. Stan died in Brisbane in 1965, aged 79.

Herbert Stanley Pattemore
1885–1965