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Rediscovering Ginninderra:
Henry Edward Gozzard (Junior)

Born: 1876; Died: 1944; Married: Harriet Southwell

Henry Edward Gozzard (Junior) was born at Mulligans Flat in 1876 to Henry Gozzard (Senior) and Eliza Gozzard [nee Morris].

Henry inherited 'Aston', Mulligans Flat, in 1902 on the death of his father, whilst he was unmarried and twenty five years old.

In 1905 he married Harriet Southwell, daughter of Thomas and Mary (nee Cooper) Southwell of Sutton Road. Their wedding was the first to be celebrated in the Methodist Church at Woodfield and was reported in detail the Queanbeyan Observer:

"The bride who was given away by her father was neatly attired in a dress of cream nun's veiling, prettily trimmed with cream tucked silk. She also wore a wreath of orange blossoms and veil and a dress ring (the latter the gift of the bridegroom) and carried a lovely shower bouquet of white roses, chrysanthemums, lilies and asparagus ferns (a gift of her sister).

The bridesmaid, Miss Edith Southwell, sister of the bride wore a pretty costume of pale blue nun's veiling, trimmed with cream lace and pale blue ribbon.The bridegroom was attended by his brother, Mr Carrington Gozzard. The wedding breakfast was provided at the residence of the bride's parents where about fifty guests sat down to a regal meal. The happy couple took their departure for their new home in Ginninderra".

As a young man Henry was elected to a committee to set up a cricket club at Mulligans Flat. Their first task was to select a suitable ground and purchase cricketing materials. They must have been successful for in 1897, a year later, the Queanbeyan Age reported that - "E. Gozzard played with Mulligans Flat in a cricket match against Gundaroo Amateurs at Mulligans Flat on Saturday".

Henry proved himself as a competent farmer and grazier with the Queanbeyan Age noting in 1915 "the fine crops of Mr H.E. Gozzard of Ginninderra".

He availed the services of Henry 'Harry' Curran the Ginninderra blacksmith as early as 1914 and continued as a customer until 1927. Most of the work was for farrier services, especially shoes for the draught horses which cost eight shillings a set of four, but it also included farming equipment such as repairs to harrows, cutting wagon tyres and repairing wool press levers.

He and his family moved to Hawthorn Cottage near the Canberra Inn, the former home of Peter and Mary (nee Mathieson) Shumack, where they operated a dairy. That land had been resumed by the Federal Government early in 1915.

They eventually moved to Forbes where Henry died in 1944 and Harriet survived until 1955. Their children were Liza (Mrs F. Hobbs), Edna (Mrs H. Hobbs), Henry Thomas and Alfred.

In 1997 Gozzard Street in Gungahlin was formally gazetted. The early pioneers identified were Henry Jnr, his father Henry Snr and his brother Arthur Vivian who lived in the village of Hall for many years.

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