AYRES FAMILY
William Ayres (1826-1918) was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. He married Harriet Ann Ward (1840-1900) in South Australia. Harriet was also born in England. They were among several families who moved from Mt Cole in south-west Victoria to Gippsland in the 1880s looking for work: these included the Clark, Cook and Brudenell families. They moved to the Drouin and Jindivick area. Two of the sons and a daughter of William and Harriet married siblings of the Clark family: Robert Ayres (1859-1945) married Elizabeth Jane Clark (1859-1948); Albert Ayres (1870-1955) married Eliza Betsy Clark (1874-1954), and Harriet Anna Ayres (1864-1920)) married John Clark (b.1864).
Robert and Albert and their families lived in Dixons Creek from the late 1880s. Robert Ayres was at various times a carter, a farmer and a splitter. Albert and Eliza Ayres and their family remained in the Dixons Creek area. The eldest children of Robert & Elizabeth Ayres were enrolled at the Dixons Creek school in January 1889 and the four youngest children, were born in the district. Stan was enrolled at the Dixons Creek school in 1900 but there is no record of Leslie enrolled at Dixons Creek although he is listed as such on the Honor Board. Both boys however were enrolled at Tarrawarra school in October 1905. By 1915 Robert and Elizabeth and their family had returned to Drouin to live. Three of their sons, Stanley, Leslie and Albert enlisted for service during the First World War. Stan and Leslie were both killed in action: Albert enlisted in February 1916 but was discharged in June 1916 for family reasons.
