The following article is reproduced by permission of Noel Withers and extracted from “Banyule City Council Spring Outdoors Programme 2008: Greensborough & the Plenty River Pioneer Trail with Dennis Ward & Noel Withers. A ramble from the lower part of town and along the river bank learning about historic sites and the pioneering families that settled there from 1840 onward.”
Willis Vale homestead was built by George Maygar (1790-1867) in 1841 for his wife Cecilia (nee Willis 1793-1857) and sons James Willis (1830?-1853), Edwin Willis (1832-1904) and daughter Sarah Willis Maygar (1837-1916)
The land was first cultivated by the Maygar family from 1841, leased by Robert Whatmough in 1863 and purchased by Charles Partington in 1878.
Robert and his son Emmett were orchardists of considerable merit responsible for producing 80 different types of apples and pears, wax copies of which are currently held at the Melbourne Museum. The museum is currently doing research into the family.
