Eli Allen (1873-1950)
Eli was the twelfth of thirteen children, born on 27 March 1873 on the east coast of Tasmania to John Allen and his "housekeeper" - de facto wife - Anne Bell (reference; reference). He left Tasmania in his late twenties and headed to Western Australia, where he bought land at Gelorup and established Allenville Vineyard and Orangery in 1904 (reference; reference; reference). He married Emily Edith Mews in 1911, the headmistress of the Bunbury Girls School (reference; reference; reference; reference). They were married at Reverend A Buchanan's South Bunbury residence called Hallcraig on 1 May 1911 (reference).Eli's brother, John, known as Jack, was his best man (reference).They did not have children.
He was in Peterborough in South Australia as best man at youngest brother John's wedding to Amelia Arabella Okely in 1905 (reference; reference). He returned at times to Tasmania to visit his mother and other relatives.
He won numerous prizes at the Bunbury Show, demonstrating that his farm was extensive (reference; reference). He won awards for innumerable things, including fodder plants, sheaves of rye and wheat, duck eggs, leeks, brown onions, dried raisins, Kikuyu grass, ham, bacon, swedes, a white leghorn cock in one show and green peas in another (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). A published letter from a satisfied customer proclaimed Eli's tinned fruit was "in splendid condition, quite equal to fresh fruit." His nectarines were reported in the newspaper as being "preserved by the improved process, in a kerosene tin, for over eight months," and his manufactured "Australian wine . . . might safely be placed as the imported article without detection by unfavourable comparison (reference)."
He was very active in the local community, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a donor of boxes of oranges as prizes, a contributor to a "first-rate musical programme" at the Bunbury Yacht Club and one of its most "enthusiastic sailing members (reference; reference; reference; reference)." He was dismayed when his yacht Seagull was burnt, along with eight others, in a fire that gutted the club (reference).
An inveterate letter writer, Eli was forceful in letting the Chamber, the local Council, the editor of the Bunbury Herald and the Road Board know his opinions on a diverse range of topics (reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference; reference). He deplored the unnecessary destruction of shrubs and a hedge by the council, suggested that farmers fence their land and control rabbits, "ridiculed" one council proposal and complained about the inefficiency of road-building techniques (reference). One of Eli's letters to the council was reported as being received with "merriment (reference)." In a published article on Stinkwort and its Eradication, he claimed his wife had been out in the field with him removing this pest plant, and he had the only farm in the district free of it (reference).
Eli was a real character, described by some as being eccentric. Fined 10/- for having driven an unlicensed lorry, Eli explained to the court that his Buick car was at the garage, and he could not ride to town as his "horses were wild (reference)." Family members recall the car-triggered, self-opening gates to the Allenville homestead, which had a midnight blue living room ceiling painted with stars. His cream car with pink mudguards was known affectionately by the locals as "the Ice-cream." In a light-hearted piece about Eli, the newspaper referred to him as "the inventive genius who contrived a comfortable sulky from a babe's bassinet (reference)."
In 1910, Eli was visited by one of his Tasmanian nephews, Jack Allen, who worked on his farm. Jack was a keen amateur photographer who took many photos of Eli, Allenville, Bunbury and surrounding areas before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1914 and serving in World War 1 for five years.
In 1919 the couple went through troubling times as Eli's wine cellars were completely destroyed by a bushfire (reference; reference). Fortunately, their house was saved along with the fruit packing shed and other buildings. He also had it insured for £1,000 (reference)
When Eli died in Bunbury on 28 May 1950, aged 77 after a prolonged illness, having farmed in the area for nearly half a century, he made bequests to several friends then hedged his bets for the hereafter by leaving his estate of £16,251/7/- to be equally divided between the Church of England Building Fund, the Carmelite Monastery in Nedlands and the Little Sisters of the Poor in Perth (reference; reference).
Written by Val Schier, Great grand niece of Eli, for the Streets of Bunbury project.