Frederick Fox
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Frederick Fox
Frederick Fox
Frederick was born to Robert and Ruth Fox on the 15th of June 1873 (official records state 12th). Frederick and twin brother, Reuben were born the youngest of twelve children.
Robert’s sons were all well provided for, his were the first to own bicycles in the district. Later Frederick was to use his bicycle to earn money as part of the ‘Bike Brigade,’ which followed the shearing.
Frederick attended Lobethal Lutheran School where his wife to be, Bertha Muehlberg, also attended.
Robert Fox’s sons including Fred were known to enjoy a friendly fistfight after a few drinks on a Saturday night. If no competition could be found, then the brothers would create a ring with candles and fight amongst themselves.
Fred Fox(Photo courtesy of Annie Jones)
Marriage to Bertha Pauline Auguste Muehlberg
Marriage to Bertha Pauline Auguste Muehlberg
Frederick Fox married Bertha Pauline Auguste Muehlberg on the 13th of August 1900 at Maughan Church, Adelaide. Before marrying, Bertha worked as a servant girl during which she sustained significant injuries in 1896 (three days after her 17th birthday), hospitalising her for two months in the Royal Adelaide due to severe burns to her chest.
Their first home together shared the Fox’s Creek property with Ruth Fox whom had been provided by Robert’s Will the stone hut with floorboards.
After Ruth’s death, Frederick paid £1500 on the 21st of September 1922, to purchase Fox’s Creek (No. 6195). Frederick borrowed £600 from elder brother Henry Albert Fox to repay the Trustee George Hannaford.
Fred and Bertha had nine children, however two did not outlive them. Clive Frederick died at nine months of age and was buried at Lobethal Cemetery without a gravestone, while Blanche died of pneumonia at nineteen and was laid to rest at Lobethal Cemetery.
The uncomfortable mud house, which was the first permanent structure Robert had built, was home to Frederick’s family for twenty years before Ruth passed. The breezy structure complete with mattresses made of horsehair had quite an unstable floor. His daughters are known to have been in fear of it falling away in their sleep and drowning, since water pooled below in winter.
Frederick worked his property as a mixed farm comprising fruit, vegetables and dairy. A van and horses were used for taking produce to the Adelaide Markets before a Ford Ton Truck was acquired.
Three weeks work was required to pick and transport raspberries each season to Houghton Jam Factory. Fred’s production of raspberries made him the largest in the state.
Meanwhile his dairy comprising twenty cows was also successful as his butter production was pressed to meet the demand at the Cudlee Creek store. This continued until the dairy factory bought the cream and produced the butter themselves.
Despite these successes, the repayments to his brothers for the property crippled his family, further he continued to purchase and increase his land to a sizeable 640 acres or thereabouts. Much of the purchased land was disused. Although, the family dog reportedly knew each gully by name, to which it would proceed on command and herd the cows.
The farm at Fox’s Creek(Photo courtesy of Vena Muehlberg)
Artwork of Fox's Creek
(Unknown Artist)
(Unknown Artist)
Easter celebrations were spent as a family at the Oakbank races, with the exception of some whom had to remain at the property in case of fire.
Fred enjoyed camping, fishing and occasionally duck shooting on the River Murray, where he often spent time with brother-in-law Paul Muehlberg’s family at Nildottie.
Bertha meanwhile saw little of her family since Fred forbid her and their children from attending church. However, he did permit all of his children to be baptised. Despite giving his only surviving son Cecil gifts in the form of stock whips and bicycles, Frederick is remembered for being too boisterous for the likes of the locals and a grump to his wife, while a terrifying presence to his children when armed with a whip. Others remember him to be unsociable, preferring to return to work immediately after dinner despite friends visiting.
Bertha Pauline Auguste Fox nee Muehlberg
Bertha with daughter Annie Fox at Fox’s Creek
Bertha with grand children Margaret and Jennifer Jones (Photos courtesy of Annie Jones)
Passing of Frederick Fox
Passing of Frederick Fox
Cecil Fox purchased Fox’s Creek (No. 6195) for £2430, borrowing £1430, at £100 per year over 14 years, on the 9th of March 1949. During Cecil’s ownership, No. 6195 was converted from the old title system to the current real estate system and therefore was renumbered to No. 255. Cecil worked on the property as a farmer until he sold it to a Mr Ramsey, whom sold it to the State Government, later incorporating it as a part of Mt Crawford Forest.
Frederick Fox died on the 19th of June 1950, age 77 of chronic myocardial ischaemia (heart disease), at his Fox Creek property. He was laid to rest at Lobethal Cemetery two days later.
The title for the land at Fox’s creek indicates that Bertha lived for a time at 222 Port Road, Woodville with daughter Annie Jones and later with daughter Vena Muehlberg at Holton St, Glenside. Bertha Pauline Auguste Fox died on the 6th of August 1956 of congestive cardiac failure (heart disease), at Monreith Hospital, Toorak Gardens and rests beside her husband.
57 Acres of Section No. 6195 as owned by Robert, Frederick and later Cecil Fox
Final resting place of Frederick & Bertha Fox at Lobethal Cemetery. Their stone reads:In Memory BERTHA FOX FREDERICK FOX DIED AUG 1956 DIED JUNE 1950 AGED 77 AGED 77
View over Fox’s Creek while hills still covered with pine trees in 1998. The hills depicted with pine trees mostly comprised Frederick’s land ownership during his time. Forestry SA have since felled the pine plantation and returned landscape to natural vegetation. The area is now the Fox Creek Bike Park.
Topographic map illustrating Fox’s Creek and the Lobethal area.Section No 6195 became Section 255(57 acres) under the new land title system. Fox Creek Road passes through the property and terminates at Cudlee Creek Road near Fox’s Peak. Red Star Indicates where Cudlee Creek Primary school was located (near intersection of Fox Creek and Cudlee Creek Road).
Map of Onkaparinga region in South Mt Lofty Ranges (Geocentric Datum of Australia)
Map of Onkaparinga region in South Mt Lofty Ranges (Geocentric Datum of Australia)
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