Historical information
Mary Ann Charman was a pioneer settler in the Cheltenham area of the Parish of Moorabbin c1850
Stephen Charman , who emigrated in 1942 as a Henry Dendy employee aged 21 years, sadly lost his wife and child shortly after arriving in Brighton. When Dendy could not employ him he found other work. In 1850 he met Mary Gettens a widow with 5 children who supported her family by managing her late husband’s Inn in Collins St. Melbourne. Stephen purchased land in Spring Grove, now Cheltenham, in 1852 and the family moved to the wattle and daub hut after their marriage. Mary and Stephen worked very hard to establish a market garden, poultry and pork farm . They specialised in Marigolds which they sold to Martin & Pleasance Pharmacy , Melbourne for medicinal purposes.
Mary and Stephen had 7 more children and Mary still managed to find time to sell the pork, poultry and vegetables from a horse drawn cart she drove around St Kilda. 1857 Stephen donated land to the Methodist Church for a School, burial ground and Chapel in Balcombe Road.
Mary died 1870. Stephen remarried in 1878 and died aged 85 years 1906.
Charman Road runs from Nepean Highway , Cheltenham through Beaumaris to the Beach Road at Mentone.
Significance
Mr Les Jones was the Great Grandson of Mary Ann Charman
Physical description
An oval framed colour painting of the likeness of Mary Ann Charman, 1820 - 1870 pioneer settler in the Cheltenham area of the Parish of Moorabbin
