by Denise McMahon
Great-granddaughter of Hiram and Martha Crawford
Hiram's Achievements
Among Hiram's business and personal interests and achievements were –
- Successful miner
- Bowling house proprietor
- Owner and developer of Crawford & Co. coach lines.
- Member of the Magistracy in Beechworth having been appointed Justice of the Peace in 1866 by Samuel Henry Bindon.
- Councillor
- President of the United Shire of Beechworth on two occasions
- Mayor of Chiltern 1867
- Past master of the Masonic Lodge in Beechworth
- Inaugurator of The Loyal Rutherglen Lodge of Oddfellows
- Member of other lodges – Combermere Lodge of Freemasons
- On the Ovens Hospital Board
- Proprietor of the longest surviving coaching company in the State of Victoria – Crawford and Co also known as Crawford and Connolly and H.A. Crawford & Co. This company's coaches ran throughout the north east of the State of Victoria including southern New South Wales. In many areas it was the only link between small villages and the outside world.
- Owner and builder of the “Eastern Arcade” in Bourke Street Melbourne. Hiram who built this arcade was the toast of Melbourne when it opened in December 1872.
- Grazier – owning many properties around the Ovens District.
- Owner and builder of several hotels in the Ovens District.
- Orchadist – largest lemon orchard in the Colonies – on “Brookfield” at Everton
- Hop Grower – on “Brookfield” at Everton
- Tobacco Grower – on “Brookfield” at Everton
- General Store Owner – Hurdle Creek
- Chairman and Director of mining companies, Rose Reef Quartz Mining Co, The Great Extended Mine, Walhalla are two such companies.
- On the Board of Insurance Company
- Foundation member of many Beechworth Development projects, e.g the construction of Beechworth Waterworks.
- Instigator of many pioneering business in the Ovens District among which were The Beechworth Gas Company (Chairman for 20 years) and the Beechworth Pottery
- Juror on two committees during the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition
- Captain of the Fire Brigade in Beechworth for 25 years
- Instrumental in the formation of the Fire Brigade Act in Victoria.
- Foundation member of the State Fire Brigade and member for 20 years.
- One of the instigators of rail to the north east of the State
- Real Estate Agent in his retirement in Melbourne.
- Property developer also during his retirement, buying up strings of houses
around the Elsternwick area.
During his life in Australia, Hiram kept in close touch with developments in his homeland and abroad. He undertook several study tours to United States, and Cuba and many trips home to Massachusetts, always coming back with fresh ideas to put into practice in Victoria, to help develop this land he now called home.
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