Millar Buzzard

7.4
Nhargo Station (near Dongara W.A.)

About 7 kilometres north of Dongara, an abandoned ruin of a homestead can still be seen, as it stands, on the west side of what is now known as the Brand Highway.

Map of water supply on Nhargo Station

The property surrounding the homestead was called Nhargo Station. It was built of corrugated iron and limestone in c.1870. It was owned by Isabella Waldeck, of Waldeck Nursery fame in W.A. When she retired in 1901, she left the farm to her sons Fred and George Waldeck. They sold the farm in 1927.

Nhargo Station Farmhouse

We know Millar was living on Nhargo Station, as when his second son Brian was born, it was mentioned in the birth notice that his home address was Nhargo Station.

Millar at Nhargo Station 1915 [94]

The history of the Nhargo Station and the Waldeck Family was documented in the The Sea Lion - Summer 2019-2020 [95]

At the time, Millar was involved with the Geraldton Amateur Dramatic Company and played Michael Hatfield, an English agitator.

Amateur Dramatics in Geraldton 1914 [96]

Millar and Margaret settled at Nhargo for a time when their first child, John Angus Millar was born in Geraldton on 24th June 1914 but John’s date of birth on his Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) Service Record is documented as 24th March 1914 and this was verified by a sighting of his extract of birth certificate by the R.A.A.F. [97] However, his gravestone is inscribed with a birth date of 24th June 1914.

In the Births section of West Australian 18 August 1915, Brian Sheridan Buzzard was stated as being born on 26th July 1915, to Mr and Mrs Millar Buzzard. [98]

Brian Sheridan Buzzard Birth Notice 1915

The certified copy of his birth certificate states that he was born at Margaret’s father, Stephen Sheridan’s family property, Munganning, on 6th July 1915. (Stephen’s property was also spelt Mongaming, Mongamming and Mungamming.) The registrar of births at the time also made an error in the registering his mother’s name as Margaret Mann Sheridan. Brian was reassured by his mother that his correct birth date was the 26th.

Certified Copy of Brian Sheridan Buzzard’s Birth Certificate

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[94] Shire of Irwin, Dongara – Port Denison, Local Heritage Survey
[95] Irwin Districts Historical Society Inc Summer 2019-2020 | Vol I, No 6
[96] Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1906 - 1928), Tuesday 12 May 1914, page 2
[97] National Archives of Australia – John Angus Buzzard War Service Record No. 17108
[98] West Australian 18th August 1915 page 1