Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Norman James (1891-1965) after his return from WWI married Esther Kelly of Alexandra in 1921, and honeymooned in Ballarat.
Norman then took over the farm at "Riverview", Thornton buying it from his father.  (Approx. 100 acres of river flats on the Goulburn River).
Norman and Essie lived, farmed and raised their family of eight there for 18 years. Then after two difficult years on the farm due to brucellosis in their cattle among other contributing factors they decided to sell up all their live stock and farm equipment and to lease the farm. Their new means of income was to buy a Cafe-Milk Bar in the township of Yea some 50 km north of Thornton.
The following is an interesting report in the local paper on the clearing sale.

Thornton and Acheron Express, Fri 8 Dec 1939, Page 2
Successful Clearing Sale.
A very successful clearing sale was conducted on Mr. Norman Robb's farm at Thornton on Wednesday of last week. There was a large attendance, and the bidding was spirited. Milkers sold to £12/12/6, 18 months old Jersey heifers £7/8/, poddies to £3, and pigs brought great prices, sows to £11, slips 39/, and suckers 25/. Machinery and plant also commanded high prices. The sale was conducted by Victorian Producers' Co.Op Co. Ltd., and Williamson Bros., in conjunction. Mr. Robb is taking over a cafe is Yea.

Norm and Essie with a lot of help from family ran this Cafe-Milk Bar business for 11 years and sold the farm in 1944. During this 11 years in Yea they lived behind the shop. In 1950, they sold this business and shifted to "The Parade" in Yea to live, during which time Norman worked part time at the local timber mill until 1952. Next in early 1953, they purchased a Delicatessen business at 349 Whitehorse Rd., Balwyn for about 12 months. Evidently this was a catastrophe financially. Moving on and buying a house in William Street, Ringwood, Norman then worked in the Blue Moon Fruit Packing Company in Mitcham for approx. 2 years.  Norm's next employment was with John Harvey Agricultural Machinery, eventually reaching foreman of the steel yard.  By this time, Norman is nearly 68. Working another 2 years, he retired but still did some part time gardening. He had an excellent large vegetable garden himself at William Street.