THEY walked hundreds of miles to get there, often with little more than their family and a horse or two.

They wanted to build new lives as farmers on the Mooralla and Kenilworth Estate closer settlements, near Cavendish, in the Western District.

One hundred years on, on March 7, hundreds of descendants of those original settlers will celebrate the region's rich history.

This year marks a century of closer settlement - or resettlement villages - at the Mooralla and Kenilworth Estates and locals are determined to share and save as many stories as possible about the area's history.

Many descendants of those who took up the close settlement blocks, carved out of two original large stations, are still farming today.

One of the drivers of the history project, local historian Alan Blarney, says one thing that has kept many of the original families on the same farms is the size of the selections.

"Most were 550-640 acres (222-260ha) taken from the previous stations, so they were good-sized blocks.

"So most of the families survived there, unlike soldier-settlement type blocks in other regions," says Alan.

"But in this area that was quite sustainable financially and most people focused on fine-wool production."

Sawmilling was also a mainstay of the region, up until recent times.

"It is pretty amazing to learn how they lived, just 100 years ago, and how tough it was and how much they had to endure," Alan says.

"They had a wonderful sense of community from the start and religion seemed to hold them together a lot."

Families whose ancestors settled 100 years ago, and who are still farming there, include the Cordys, Coates, Haeuslers and Gordons (whose forebears were Forans).

Settler descendant Gordon Cordy says one of the reasons his family is still farming is the "wonderful community and volunteering spirit".

"People around Cavendish are still very community-minded and take pride in the town and sporting clubs," Gordon says.

"The farms were also large enough, and productive, to keep people here."

But Gordon says there is an urgent need to entice young people to stay in the area.

Alan says all are welcome to join a bus tour and other activities on March 7. "It is going to be a big day. There is a lot to celebrate after 100 years here, and the community is still going strong, even though it has been through many changes," he says.

"We've collected all types of memorabilia, pictures and stories."

    CHECKLIST
  • Cavendish reunion, March 7, for details phone Alan Blarney on (03) 5574 2271.