FatherPhilip Steer b. 2 Jul 1855, d. 11 Aug 1937
MotherEuphemia Forrest b. 1859, d. 13 Mar 1914
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Margaret Elizabeth Steer was born on 13 June 1883 in Lillimur, Victoria.1,2 
She married William Cook in 1907.3 
She died in 1968 in Mooroopna, Victoria.4 

Family

William Cook
ChartsSteer, Edward, descendant chart

Story

Margaret Elizabeth Steer was born at Lillimur in Victoria on 13 June 1993. She was the second child of Euphemia and Philip. She was known as Maggie.2,1,5,6
 
During her childhood near Lillimur, she witnessed the deaths of a sister Helen, and brother Robert.
 
Wagon Trip to Lake Boga
Whether to leave behind the tragic deaths of the two young children, or with the hope of better farming prospects elsewhere, Philip and Euphemia decided to move from near Lillimur to Lake Boga. They moved between August 1890 (when Bert was born) and April 1892 (when we have a newspaper report of Philip in Lake Boga).
Lost, Stolen or Strayed
£1 Reward - Lost from Lake Boga about the middle of April, 1 bay pony gelding, blotch brand near shoulder, black points, wild and hard to catch, about 14 hands high, shod, last seen at Mystic Park. The above reward will be paid to anyone delivering same to Mr P Steer, or J O'Donnell, Lake Boga.7

 
The three children were loaded into horse-drawn wagons; Alice would have been about eleven, Maggie about eight and Bert one.6
 
Family Life in Lake Boga
When the family first moved to Lake Boga, Philip built a four-roomed cottage on their ten acre property. This is where youngest child Beatrice ('Beat') was born. The cottage was to be the family home for the next 15 years, and so is where the children did most of their growing up. They all attended school in Lake Boga.

In her late teens, eldest child Alice left the family home in Lake Boga and headed towards Echuca.

Having farmed in South Australia, around Langhorne Creek and Wolseley, then Victoria near Lillimur, when they moved to Lake Boga, Philip initially farmed there on their ten acre property.8,9
'Grandfather harvesting wheat' (Philip Steer, possibly man standing left of wheat bags), Lake Boga
Image: Margaret Sellwood
Food consisted of whatever was available at the time, and was quite dependant on the weather and economic conditions. The Federation drought of 1902 and the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 30s were particularly tough times. On a good day it might be lamb that was part of Philip's pay, or Murray cod caught in the nearby Little Murray river. At other times, they might catch a rabbit or two to eat. The water in the nearby lakes was of poor quality, usually too salty. This would cause fruit crops to fail in some years and was known to wipe out whole seasons of many different vegetables. In leaner times, they would have to live on potatoes and onions.

In the big drought of 1902 times were very hard, Grandfather [Philip] found work at a big Station called Murray Downs. Once a fortnight he would walk the 10-12 miles home carrying half a sheep on his back, this was part of his pay. Most of the time they lived on potatoes and onions. [Memories of Beatrice Lee]10,11

'Fishing at Murrabit' (Philip Steer, possibly right)
Image: Margaret Sellwood
Federal Coffee Palace
From about 1906, Euphemia and Philip ran a business, the Federal Coffee Palace, in Lake Boga. It was on the corner of Marraboor and Kerang Streets, and not far from the railway station. The family left the cottage, their home for about fifteen years, to live at the Coffee Palace.

The main business was meals and a boarding house. And at different times it included: a fruit and vegetable shop, soft drinks, ice cream, hairdresser, butcher, confectionery and tobacconist. There was also a cellar, stables, and when they sold, acetylene gas. When the family moved in, there were six bedrooms and when it was sold there were thirteen rooms. The sale advertisement states 'the wb portion of this building is entirely new'. The renovation may have occurred in mid-1907, when their ten acre property was mortgaged, possibly to finance the work.

Apart from the hairdressers, Philip, Euphemia, Maggie and Beat managed it all. Euphemia did the cooking, Maggie waited on tables and did the bedrooms, and Beat was in the shop. After Maggie married in 1907, Beat took over her role. With Lake Boga on the edge of the wheat belt it was very busy at harvest time, when farmers used to bring their wheat to the railway station. They came to the Coffee Palace for meals. There were also several permanent boarders.12,6,13
Euphemia Steer's Federal Coffee Palace, Lake Boga
Image: Margaret Sellwood
Unfortunately, in February 1909 they were forced to sell the business due to Euphemia's ill-health. They had also tired of the workload.

LAKE BOGA
TUESDAY, 16th FEBRUARY
Immediately before the Stock Sale
SALE of the
VALUABLE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY
Known as the
FEDERAL COFFEE PALACE
Also
FRUIT and CONFECTIONERY SHOP and
HAIRDRESSING SALOON
To Investors, Speculators and Others

ANDREW S MUIR and CO having been favored with instructions from Mr E Steer, will offer for sale by public auction, as above:-
    All that piece of land having a double frontage to Marraboor and Kerang streets, containing about half acre, on which is erected a commodious dwelling of brick and wb, containing 13 rooms, kitchen and bathroom detached. The wb portion of this building is entirely new, and includes a splendid fruit and confectionery shop. There is also a hairdressing saloon and tobaconist's shop. A new acetylene gas plant has been installed, and water is laid on to the premises. The other improvements include stables, sheds and chaff house. Being centrally situated in the business portion of this rising township, within three minutes of the railway station, this property offers an exceptional opportunity to investors, speculators and others to secure a splendid place. Mrs Steer has long carried on business, and these premises are well and very favorably known throughout the whole of the district, as well as to the commercial and other travellers, who make it their house of call. There is always a full complement of boarders, and to anyone in want of such a business the agents can with confidence recommend this house. It would let readily at a remunerative rental, and Mrs Steer is selling off solely on account of ill-health. Should the property be sold the furniture and stock may be had at valuation.
Terms at Sale
ANDREW S MUIR and CO, Kerang, Cohuna and Lake Boga

Euphemia ultimately sold the business but kept the property. It is odd that she offered the land for sale, as the title shows she didn't own it until August 1911.

Hendersons initially took up the lease for two years, and it was known as Henderson's Coffee Palace. Then from mid-1911, it was known as Lee's Coffee Palace, after being taken up by Mr and Mrs Lee, whose son William, later married Beatrice. Lees ran the coffee palace until at least mid-1914.

Mrs Lee retired from the business around 1915 after her husband died. Beatrice returned and with William ran the business for some time.12,14,15,16,17,18,6
 
Marriage
Margaret Elizabeth Steer and William Cook were married in 1907.3
 
After they married, Maggie and Will lived at Round Lake, about two kilometres from Lake Boga. They later lived at Koondrook, Murrabit and Kerang.6,19,20,21,22
 
Margaret Elizabeth Steer
Image: Margaret Sellwood
Death of Albert
In 1918, Philip, Alice, Margaret and Beatrice received the news that their son and brother Albert died while on active service.
 
DEATH - On Active Service
STEER - Killed in action on 8th August, 1918, in France, Private AE (Bert) Steer, only son of Mr Philip Steer, of Lake Boga, and brother to Mrs D McDonald, Nyah; Mrs W Cook, Lake Boga, and Mrs H Lee, Lake Boga. Aged 29 years.
    Though absent from among us, Bert,
     You are always in our thoughts;
    And those you left behind you
     Most keenly feel your loss.22
 
"Half Mast."
Private Albert Edward Steer, of C Company 60th Battalion, has been reported killed in action, in France, after having been in the firing line for only three months. His widow and three fine little boys reside in New street, Dandenong. Private Steer was an only son, of magnificent physique, and 29 years of age. His father and mother are living at Lake Bolac [sic: Lake Boga], while Mrs Steer's parents are Mr and Mrs Kennedy, of King street, Dandenong. His last letter was full of hope for a safe return home.23
 
Family Gathering
This photo was taken at Murrabit, likely Maggie and Will's place at the time, around 1921.
Front: Alice McDonald (Steer), Maggie Cook (Steer), Bill (Philip) Lee, Philip Steer; others unknown; Murrabit (north of Kerang)
Later Years
In later years Maggie and Will moved to Mooroopna.6
 
Margaret Elizabeth Cook died in Mooroopna in 1968. She was buried at Mooroopna cemetery.4,6
 

Citations

  1. [S51] Margaret Sellwood, personal communication, 6 April 1996.
  2. [S3] Victorian Pioneer Index 1836-1888, CD-ROM, Macbeth Genealogical Services, 1998, 'Maragret Elizabe' Steer entry, birth registration no. 17813, 1883.
  3. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Wm Cook and Margt Elizth Steer' entry, marriage registration no. 8696, 1907.
  4. [S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, Margaret Elizabeth Cook entry, death registration no. 5172, 1968.
  5. [S265] Graeme Williams, personal communication, 31 January 2013.
  6. [S376] From the Memories of the Life of Beatrice Lee, unpublished, 1987.
  7. [S399] 'Lost, stolen or strayed', Kerang Times and Swan Hill Gazette, 1877-1889, newspaper, Harcourt & Co, 20 June 1893, p. 3, viewed 17 July 2022, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222524867
  8. [S376] From the Memories of the Life of Beatrice Lee, unpublished, 1987, p. 1.
  9. [S361] Beatrice Maud Steer, birth registration no. 26902, 12 July 1893.
  10. [S376] From the Memories of the Life of Beatrice Lee, unpublished, 1987, p. 2.
  11. [S52] Doris 'Nene' Courtie, personal communication, 10 November 2001.
  12. [S539] 'Lake Boga: Sale of valuable township property', Bendigo Advertiser, 1853-2003, newspaper, RR Haverfield, 11 February 1909, p. 8, viewed 10 August 2014, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89403608
  13. [S561] LANDATA, online property information, Certificate of title, vol. 2371, folio 088, Lake Boga, 1899-1920.
  14. [S561] LANDATA, online property information, Certificate of title, vol. 2387, folio 393, Lake Boga, 1891-1920.
  15. [S561] LANDATA, online property information, Certificate of title, vol. 3526, folio 173, Lake Boga, 1911-1920.
  16. [S543] 'Special: Mr JE Crapp, dental surgeon', Kerang New Times, 1901-1918, newspaper, George Adams, 6 August 1909, p. 2, viewed 21 June 2022, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222447751
  17. [S543] 'Special: Dentist. Mr AR Wellman', Kerang New Times, 1901-1918, newspaper, George Adams, 4 July 1911, p. 2, viewed 21 June 2022, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222462281
  18. [S39] 'General news items: Dentistry', Swan Hill Guardian and Lake Boga Advocate, 1892-1937, newspaper, A Knox Chapman, 21 May 1914, p. 2, viewed 21 June 2022, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87215888
  19. [S51] Margaret Sellwood, personal communication, 27 December 2019.
  20. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Wimmera, subdivision of Swan Hill, 1913.
  21. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, division of Wimmera, subdivision of Swan Hill, 1915.
  22. [S39] 'Death on active service', Swan Hill Guardian and Lake Boga Advocate, 1892-1937, newspaper, A Knox Chapman, 5 September 1918, p. 2, viewed 17 June 2021, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87265877
  23. [S390] 'Half mast', Dandenong Advertiser, newspaper, 5 September 1818, p. 2, viewed 7 September 2017, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88818842