Historical information

Members of the Marriott family arrived in Port Phillip in 1857. However it was John and Jane Marriott who in 1876, (after toiling hard since their arrival in1871, for very little gain), first leased, then purchased in 1882, 30 acres with a four-roomed house in East Boundary Road, in the area then called East Brighton. (Now known as East Bentleigh). The land they purchased had previously been a part of the 1841 Dendy Survey. Over the following years, John and his four sons with hard work and determination became prosperous vegetable growers and purchased further land in the area. Following John's retirement and subsequent death in 1903, the land was passed to his sons, and then onto the Marriott grandchildren. The family continued to remain very prosperous and successful vegetable growers. This lovely photo of Geoff Marriott bears testament to just one of the many families steeped in the tradition of vegetable growing which significantly contributed to the prosperity of the Shire, and its subsequent development into the City of Moorabbin.

Significance

The photograph of Geoff Marriott of the Marriott family represents a typical example of the MANY early market gardening families, some names less prominent, but who with their labours contributed to the prosperity and the development of the community of the Shire of Moorabbin. This group of early pioneers, over many years, were a singularly important group responsible for the growth of schools, churches, the Mechanic's Hall, and were active in local government.

Physical description

Large coloured photograph, taken in 1969, showing Mr Geoff Marriott with his horse-drawn plough pulled by "Duke" the Clydesdale horse, and accompanied by "Smoky", his dog, working in his market garden, Brady Road, East Bentleigh