From the book ŒNumurkah‚ by W. H. Bossence.
Published in 1979 by the Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, ISBN 0 7256 0249 x
Chapter 4 The Settlers, Page 58

Naturally enough the parish boundaries offered no restraint to affairsof the heart. Nor indeed did the Shire boundaries, and much of thehistory of the six parishes of the present Shire has been made beyondtheir limits. In 1898 Thomas Scilley of ŒKatunga Vale‚ gave away hisdaughter Maggie to George, the second son of John Furphy ofShepparton. This event must be regarded as part of the history ofNumurkah. And it would be foolish to ignore Edward Coxon simplybecause his selection at Dunbulbalane, east of the Shire boundary.Coxon arrived in the Colony in 1852 at the age of twenty and his tentwas inside the Eureka Stockade at the time of the rising. In 1860 hecommenced contracting and when he made his first selection in 1874 hewas said to be one of the first to take up land on the Katandra Run.In later years, however, his family became closely involved in theNumurkah Township. In 1905, his son Thomas married Jessie, daughter ofCharles Chamberlin who was already well-known there, and in 1908 hisdaughter Alice married Herbert McPherson whose family was alsoestablished in the Shire. Edward himself died in 1894.

Chapter 5 Numurkah: 1875 - 1881, Page 71

Among the earliest requirements of the settlers were the implementswith which to develop their newly acquired allotments, and there wasan element of urgency in the matter, no least for the reason that thesettlers‚ annual improvements had to come up to the expectations ofthe Land Board. It is not surprising, then, that blacksmiths shouldhave appeared early on the scene, and indeed they were numerous by1880. One of the earliest, Murdoch Stewart, set up shop in MelvilleStreet in the late Œseventies as both blacksmith and unofficialguardian of the peace, for there was not yet a policeman closer thanConst. Gannon at Wunghnu. Ferguson was another and before long thesetwo were followed by the Aitchison brothers, Bennett, the Brooksbrothers, Butler, Tom Callander, l. and M. Gourlay, Hawker, Hepworth,Alan Hyde, Kirkwood, Sam Lugg, Lew Martin, McCoy, Allan McDonald, FredOrd, Pitt, Scott, Segrave, Sloley, J. Sutherland, Tatnell,Thistlewaite, Thompson and Worral - to mention but a few. Most ofthese men were also founders, wheelwrights and shoer of horses, craftswhich were to assume both artistic perfection and economic importancein Numurkah before the end of the century under the expert directionof the House brothers and Edward Coxon.

Chapter 8 Numurkah: 1882 - 1901, Page 144 - 145

In 1894 the House brothers sold part of their business to John Thomsonof Brighton and the other part to Messrs Coxon and Gourlay who camewith Œcredentials of a very high order for ability‚ from Furphy‚sfoundry in Shepparton . The event was remembered forty years laterwhen Edward Coxon gave Œa very fine dinner‚ to celebrate the notableanniversary. The changing nature of the community‚s needs isindicated by the fact that soon after taking over, Coxon and Gourlayproduced fifteen creamery carts in the space of three months; butbefore a year had passed Edward Coxon had the business on his own.

In the next ten years he produced buggies of all kinds Œincludingfarmers brakefronts (two and three seats). hooded, jump and slideseats, hooded abbotts piano and coal box buggies, gigs, jinkers andtrotting sulkies, rustic carts, butchers, bakers, grocers order carts,and milk and fruit growers‚ spring wagons‚. The writer of 1903 addedto this summary: ŒHe is now introducing a lorry wagon which will be onview at the Numurkah Show - the front wheels of this wagon turn rightunder the body thus being most convenient for turning.

Mr Coxon manufactured farm implements and also iron lace, much ofwhich is still to be seen on buildings in Numurkah, and for longyears his firm was held up as the outstanding proof that a secondaryindustry could be viable in the town. It was indeed the largestsecondary industry in the Goulburn Valley.

In 1908 he exhibited at the Melbourne Show the heaviest set of wagonwheels ever made in his factory. Their height was 5 ft. 9 ins. Andthey were built up from Sydney ironbark, red gum and grey box timber,all twelve years old. In later years ŒTed Coxon‚s road train‚ was anŒimposing sight for those privileged to see the same leaving thetown‚. This astonishing device, drawn by Mr Herbie Williams‚ tractionengine, consisted of Œthose splendid wagons he built, water tanks andagricultural implements piled thereon, also manufactured by him, andhis fine buggies and gigs. Often as many as six or seven vehicles, onebehind the other. A place was always found for the poultry as well‚.

An industry of this sort could not survive far into the age of themotor car, but if Mr Coxon could not manufacture cars he could atleast learn how to service them and today Coxon‚s garage survives asthe modern representative of House Bros. Foundry. There is anotherlegacy. For years townsfolk set their watches by the foundry‚s middaywhistle which could be heard everywhere. It ceased when the foundryclosed and there was much bewilderment around 12 o‚clock that thedaily whistle was re-instituted under other auspices.