Robert McFarlane Harvey (1827 - 1898)

Born 14 Dec 1827 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Jane Anne Boden Cavan (Rankin) Harvey — married 1857 in Victoria, Australia

Descendants

Died 10 Apr 1898 at age 70 in Buninyong, Colony of Victoria

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nigel Clark [send private message]

Biography

Robert McFarlane HARVEY was born at Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom about 1827. His parents were James Harvey and Mary Gourlay. ^[1]

In the1841 Scottish Census, at the age of 14, Robert was living in Lanark, Lanarkshire with his parents. This is the town where he was born. ^[2]

In the 1851 Scottish Census, at the age of 23, he was located at 14 Columshill Place, Rethesay, Bute, Scotland. He was listed as a civil engineer. ^[3]

He arrived in Hobson's Bay, Melbourne in 1852 and entered the employ of Mr Charles Long, architect and surveyor. He was appointed in the following year a land surveyor in the Government Services. He surveyed in the Ballarat district for 10 years and then turned his attention to mining surveying. He was a resident of Buninyong for more than 27 years and was Town Clerk in 1883. He was surveyor for the borough council and clerk of petty sessions. He was also in the employ of the Buninyong Shire Council as engineer for several years and superintendent of their works when necessary. ^[4]

He married Jane Anne Boden Cavan Rankin in Colony of Victoria on 27 November1857. She was the sister of Dr W B Rankin of St Kilda. ^{[5] [6]}

The following notice of their marriage was published in a local newspaper:

"On the 27th October 1857, at the residence of William Bailey Rankin, Esq., surgeon, brother to the bride, at Buninyong, by the Rev. G. Russell, Robert McFarlane Harvey, Esq., civil engineer, to Anne Jane, third daughter of the late H. M. Rankin, Esq., Newtownards, County Down, Ireland." ^[7]

They had 14 children. ^[8]

In 1864 he was elected for a three year term to the Buninyong Shire Council. ^[9]

In March 1870 Robert MacFarlane was added to the Roll of Magistrates for the Colony of Victoria in Bunninyong. ^[10]

In February 1872 he appointed as a magistrate for the Buninyong district. ^[11]

In 1889 he was made a board member of the Barra Hospital. ^[12]

He passed away at Buninyong, Colony of Victoria on 10 April 1898. ^[13]

The following Death Notice was published in The Argus:

"Death Notice 12 Apr 1898 HARVEY.—On the 10th April, at Buninyong, suddenly, Robert Macfarlane Harvey, aged 71 years. ^[14]

Another Death Notice read:

"Robert McFarlane, Harvey, was the first municipal and mining engineer on the Buninyong and Ballarat goldfields. A large family of sons and daughters survive him, including Mr. Robert Harvey, manager of the National Bank, Hobart, Tasmania; Mr. James Harvey, clerk of courts, Albany (W.A.); Mr. Bruce Harvey, paymaster of the Harbour Trust, Sydney and Mr. .J. T. Harvey, manager of the Victorian Producers Company Colac, and Mrs Jeanie McKie Cunderdin Western Australia and Mrs Helen McKie." ^[15]

His published Obituary was as follows:

"Mr Robert McFarlane Harvey – Obituary.

Another of Buninyong's oldest and most respected residents, Mr Robert McFarlane Harvey, has passed away. On Sunday last Mr Harvey's family, leaving that gentleman in better health than usual and in excellent spirits, proceeded to the military encampment, at Ballarat, but on arriving home again were shocked on being informed that deceased had passed away during their absence. The cause of death was syncope.

For some years past Mr Harvey had been suffering from an affection of the heart and several times his life was despaired of but he always rallied, and although unable to get about, would again become almost well. Mr Harvey was 71 years of age at the time of his death. He was a native of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, and came to the colonies in the year 1853, and for the past 45 years has been a Victorian colonist.

In 1872 Mr R M Harvey was appointed as a licencing magistrate for the district of Buninyoung.

In 1889 he was appointed to the Board of Management of the Burra Hospital.

For over 30 years Mr Harvey lived in Buninyong and for the greater portion of that time occupied the position of town clerk and borough engineer, and for many years was government surveyor for the district.

About two years ago he was forced, owing to ill-health, to give up his position as town clerk, and since then was seldom seen out of doors." ^[16]

He was buried at Buninyong Cemetery. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

The following information was published in Buninyong Telegraph, April 22nd 1898:

"Robert McFarlane Harvey (1827 - 1898)

He was described in 1888 'Victoria and Its Metropolis, Melbourne' as son of late Mr James Harvey, lawyer and was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1827. He arrived in Hobson's Bay in 1852 and entered the employ of Mr Charles Long, architect and surveyor, appointed in the following year, a land surveyor in the Government Service. He surveyed in the Ballarat district for 10 years and then turned his attention to mining surveying which he is still practising. A resident of Buninyong for more than 27 years, town clerk in 1883, surveyor for the borough council and clerk of petty sessions; he was also in the employ of the Buninyong Shire Council as engineer for several years and still superintends their work when necessary. He married Ann Jane Boden Cavern, the sister of Dr W.B. Rankin (now practising in St Kilda) and he had a family of seventeen children, thirteen of whom are now living."

Notes from Buninyong and District Historical Society reveal he was -Buninyong Town Clerk - (1878 - 1896) Town Surveyor/ Engineer - (1859 -1863, 1878 - 1896)

Quote from "Three Times Blest: History of the Shire of Buninyong 1988" - "Harvey's dream had been to find a nugget but he was without luck. He had dug a survey trench only inches from the site of discovery of Bett's nugget at Kitty's Lead, and in the early days one of his datum points had been on the later site of the rich shafts of the Buninyong Freehold Company."

In 1857 Robert McFarlane Harvey married Ann Jane Boden Caven Rankin (1853 -1923), she was aged nineteen years. They had the following children -Mary Gourley Harvey - in 1858, Annie Bailey Harvey - in 1860, Jeanie (Jane) Harvey - in 1864, James Harvey - in 1865, Josephine Harvey - in 1866, died 1866 aged 4 months, William Bailey Rankin Harvey - in 1867, died 1892, Helen Maude (Daisy') Harvey - in 1869, Sarah Harvey - in 1873, died 1873 aged 4 hours, Rebecca Harvey - in 1873, died 1873 aged 4 hours, Frances Henrietta Harvey - in 1873 Stillborn, in 1874 Thomas Harvey - in 1875, died 1889 aged 14, years Margaret McFarlane Harvey - in 1877, Alex Bruce Harvey - in 1880" ^[20]

Sources

1. ↑ Family Search Genealogy Website - record for Robert McFarlane Harvey. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LY3H-2ZS. Retrieved on 14 Sep 2023 by Nigel Clark.
2. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
3. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
4. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
5. ↑ Marriage Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed by Nigel Clark 20 Dec 2022). Index entry for HARVEY, Robert Mcfarlane and RANKIN, Jane; Year: 1857, Reg. number: 3552/1857
6. ↑ Information on exact wedding date and wife's family provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
7. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
8. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
9. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
10. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
11. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
12. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
13. ↑ Death Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed by Nigel Clark 20 Dec 2022). Index entry for Robt Macfarlane HARVEY, Year: 1898; Parents: Harvey Jas and Mary GOURLEY; Spouse: Unknown; Death Place: Byong; Birth Place: Not recorded; Age: 71; Reg. Number: 6390/1898; Reg. Number: 6390/1898
14. ↑ Family Notices (1898, April 12). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 1. Retrieved January 2, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9797763
15. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
16. ↑ Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.
17. ↑ "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX1C-LFL : 31 May 2016), Robert McFarlane Harvey, died 10 Apr 1898; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Buninyong Cemetery, Buninyong, Victoria, Australia.
18. ↑ "Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLJT-3PF : 17 February 2021), Robert McFarlane Harvey, 1898.
19. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/235519923/robert-mcfarlane-harvey: accessed 02 January 2023), memorial page for Robert McFarlane Harvey (1828–10 Apr 1898), Find a Grave Memorial ID 235519923, citing Buninyong Cemetery, Buninyong, Ballarat City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by Tanya V (contributor 49442830).
20. ↑ Buninyong Telegraph, April 22nd 1898 - Information provided by direct descendant Tony Herley.

Acknowledgements

The initial profile of Robert McFarlane Harvey was created by Nigel Clark on 20 Dec 2022.

Please feel free to add/change any relevant information and sources to improve this biography.