Snapshot of the past: Ernest W Witton

A photograph outside the Drouin office of stock and land agent Ernest W Witton in 1897.
Mr Witton opened the business in 1891 and his office was located in the main street on the eastern side of the Family Hotel.
A special supplement in The Weekly Times in 1897 said Mr Witton had been a resident of Drouin for 21 years, having selected land in the district before the railway line was constructed.
“He sold his land and started business about six years ago as an auctioneer and commission agent and established a weekly sale, which is held at his rooms and yards every Tuesday,” it said. “He has an office in Main St opposite the railway station. The auction room sells vegetables, butter, fruit, poultry, storekeepers’ surplus stock and all kinds of produce.”
Ernest arrived in the district from the Port Fairy area as a 13-year-old in about 1875. He moved with his father David, mother Rebecca and his seven siblings, with four more siblings born after the move.
His father took up land opposite the Robin Hood Hotel, where they lived for eight years. He later sold the property and moved to Longwarry.
David Witton set up a brick making business, where Ernest worked with his father. 
By 1886, the factory was producing more than 50,000 bricks a month. The bricks were used for the building of the Drouin Methodist Church. 
Photograph and information courtesy of the Drouin History Group.
Visit drouinhistorygroup.org.au to find out more.