Jenny Mays remembers……….

My great grandfather (William Miller) was a bridge builder when the Koo Wee Rup swamp was being drained. He settled at Iona with his wife Maud and 7 children. Three generations of us went to Iona State School, Bertha Russell nee Miller, Ella Parsons nee Russell and myself Jenny Mays nee Parsons. Bertha went to the original school prior to it burning down. My parents purchased the original Russell farm in Temby Rd Iona in about 1954. And Bunyip was where we did our shopping. I can remember seeing the blacksmith shoeing horses where the supermarket is now. My cousins, the Bassett family lived at 17 Railway Ave. My grand mother Bertha eventually lived at 86 Longwarry Rd until she died in 1970. My Uncle Fred Russell farmed on Parish Rd Iona in the 1950,s and 60’s till it was bought by the Dickinson’s who are still there.