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E. J. KennyPrint Page 
30-April-2014
Photographs supplied by Arthur Garland
A memorial and park commemorate E. J. (Pat) Kenny who was the officer-in-charge of the Merbein Irrigation Settlement from its inception in 1909 until 1925.
The Merbein irrigation settlement, originally known as White Cliffs, was established on a pastoral holding in 1909, by the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission (SRWSC) of Victoria with water supplied from the nearby Murray River. It was one of the first State owned pumped irrigation settlements in Victoria. E. J. Kenny, was appointed the SRWSC’s first ‘Officer in Charge of the Merbein Irrigation Area’. The irrigation blocks were originally allocated for dairying, and linked to a dry land block in the Wargan/ Yelta district, west of the irrigation area. However, the hot climate and the distance from markets soon saw the settlement quickly change from dairying to the growing of the less perishable crops of citrus and grapes for drying and spirit making.
In 1912, with two differing names for the settlement and ongoing confusion with the NSW township of White Cliffs, E. J. Kenny, successfully recommended an official change of the settlement’s name from White Cliffs to Merbein.
A movement is on foot in Merbein to fittingly perpetrate the memory of the late Mr. E. J. Kenny, who was greatly beloved throughout the settlement. Various suggestions have been made, but the form the memorial will take is to be decided at a public meeting to be held in Merbein. In addition to being an efficient officer of the State, the late Mr. Kenny was an exemplary Catholic.
Advocate (Melbourne), 10 September 1925.
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The Merbein irrigation settlement, originally known as White Cliffs, was established on a pastoral holding in 1909, by the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission (SRWSC) of Victoria with water supplied from the nearby Murray River. It was one of the first State owned pumped irrigation settlements in Victoria. E. J. Kenny, was appointed the SRWSC’s first ‘Officer in Charge of the Merbein Irrigation Area’. The irrigation blocks were originally allocated for dairying, and linked to a dry land block in the Wargan/ Yelta district, west of the irrigation area. However, the hot climate and the distance from markets soon saw the settlement quickly change from dairying to the growing of the less perishable crops of citrus and grapes for drying and spirit making.
In 1912, with two differing names for the settlement and ongoing confusion with the NSW township of White Cliffs, E. J. Kenny, successfully recommended an official change of the settlement’s name from White Cliffs to Merbein.
A movement is on foot in Merbein to fittingly perpetrate the memory of the late Mr. E. J. Kenny, who was greatly beloved throughout the settlement. Various suggestions have been made, but the form the memorial will take is to be decided at a public meeting to be held in Merbein. In addition to being an efficient officer of the State, the late Mr. Kenny was an exemplary Catholic.
Advocate (Melbourne), 10 September 1925.
Location
| Address: | Box & Smith Streets, Kenny Park, Merbein, 3505 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.166314 Long: 142.055634 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Government - State |
Dedication
Front Inscription
Source: MATo The Fragrant Memory Of
E. J. (Pat) KENNY
"The Father Of Merbein"
Officer-In-Charge Of The Merbein
Irrigation Settlement From
Its Inception In 1909 Until 1925
He Passed From The Sight Of Men
18th July 1925
"To live in the hearts
we leave behind is not to die."
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au
