In 1900 Harry married Emily Parsons whose family had lived at Grove. In 1907 Harry and Emily moved to Dover and purchased land in what is now known as Reeves Lane. Harry established a small fruit farm growing blackcurrants and raspberries, he also grew lots of fresh vegetables which he sold locally until his death in 1963.
Harry and Emily Schnell had 2 children, Edna-June and Keith.
Edna-June, my Grand-mother married Wilmot Clark in 1924. They lived next door to Edna’s parents Harry & Emily. Edna and Wilmot had 5 children. Their 3rd eldest child Maurice, my Father, lived with his parents until 1956 when he married Edna Ruby Riseley, my Mother. They built a home next door on part of the Schnell property which was a wedding gift from Harry and Emily. My father lived there until his passing in October 2016.
During my childhood years there were 4 generations of our family living in 3 houses less than 100 metres apart.
In 1977 I married Gary Willson, we have twin sons James and Daniel. I still live in Dover within sight of my parent’s home.
With 180 years of local family history I have great fondness and strong connections with my home, the Huon Valley.
Carolyn
Dover District High School
My name is Carolyn Fay Willson, I was born at the Bush Nursing Hospital in Dover on the 12th March, 1957. I am the 5th generation of my family to have lived in the Huon Valley.
I am a descendant of the Clark, Schnell and Parsons families.
Thomas and Mary-Anne Clark, my Great-Grandparents lived at Leprena in the late 1800’s. My Great-Great Grandparents were some of the earliest settlers and land owners in the Huon Valley. In 1837 the Parsons family settled just north of what is now known as Huonville, in the area which is now known as the Grove.
John Schnell, my Great-Great Grand-father and his family moved from Campania, Tasmania and settled at Jackson’s Road, Franklin in 1859. In 1870 the family purchased property at New Road, Franklin where they established a nursery, growing fruit trees. They became renowned for growing and selling apple and pear trees which were used to establish most of the original apple orchards of the Huon Valley and Esperance District.
The first sturmer apple trees planted in Tasmania were raised in the Schnell family nursery at New Road, Franklin in 1873. The first apple trees to be planted in the Tasman Municipality (Eaglehawk Neck) district were grown by the Schnell family.
John Schnell (Snr.) my Great-Great Grandfather had two sons, Phillip, and John (Jnr.) known as Harry, who was my Great-Grandfather. Both Phillip and Harry were actively involved in exploration and prospecting in the Upper Huon, Weld and Picton river regions as far west as Lake Pedder and as far south as Port Davey.
They are acknowledged as being the first to cut tracks in some of those regions. The diary of Phillip Schnell gives a day by day description of the difficulties encountered during many of his journeys into the wilderness. Schnells Ridge near Lake Pedder is named in honour of Phillip Schnell.
Mr. Schnell was the first Australian to export Tasmanian blue-gum seeds for experiment and propagation in California. He sent the seed from Franklin on June 4th 1888.