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Barrie ALLAN was the first child of John (Jack)
McKinnon ALLAN and Irma HOBSON. Growing up on the
"Inverlair" farm at the original home, Barrie was
always going to be a dairy farmer. He took over his
father's farm when his father died in 1958, while
his uncle Richard ALLAN ran the front farm of 134
acres. Like his father and uncle before him, he was
left to run a farm by himself at a tender age (18).
A new house was built soon after, behind the
original. The original was sold and removed 20 kms
away to Meeniyan. Not long after that it burnt
down. Eventually the mother Irma HOBSON and the
other children left the home. Barrie married (Sue)
DREW in 1977 and they had two children.Barrie
bought extra land at the rear of his property to
increase his holdings. Barrie worked at improving
his dairy cattle, and now has an all-Jersey Stud of
high quality. In the 1980's, the former site of the
original homestead was sold off. A brick house was
built there by the new owners. What had become a
horse paddock is now a beautifully large house
block with magnificent views South across gullies
and hills, towards the waters of Wilson's
Promontory and Bass Strait. In 1989 when Barrie's
cousin Alex ALLAN sold his 134 acres and house,
Barrie purchased some of the land. Brett and Tanya
ALLAN, together with Alex ALLAN's children Chris
and Kerri ALLAN, marked 3 generations brought up at
"Inverlair" in Mardan South, and 4 generations
involvement with the Mardan South Primary School,
and Leongatha High School. In the 144 years of
ALLAN settlement in Australia to date, there have
only been 5 farms at - Scrub Hill 1856 - 1978,
Nerrena/Koorooman C.1885 - 1905, Mardan South
C.1892 - , Bamawn, and Pannoobamawn . Barrie
ALLAN's land at Mardan South is the only ALLAN
family farming property in Australia at present.
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