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John Robb
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This website contains photos, links and information I have gathered about John
Robb. It is under construction!!

John Robb was the great-great grandfather of Lee Robb (my husband) and the
great-great-great grandfather of Alexander Robb, my son. He seems to have been a
fascinating character, and I would like to collate information and links about
him in one site.

This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6,
(MUP), 1976, by John Lack.

"John Robb (1834-1896), contractor, was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland,
son of Arthur Robb, gentleman, and his wife Sarah, née Bird. He arrived in
Victoria about 1854, visited various goldfields and turned to contracting, first
with Best Overend as Overend and Robb, and on his own after Overend's death in
1877. Their first large government contract was in 1863 for the removal of
Batman's Hill to make way for Spencer Street railway station in Melbourne. In
1868 the firm constructed the Launceston and Western Railway in Tasmania. For a
few years their contracts in Victoria were for water-supply and drainage but
from 1874 they concentrated on railways, building the Wangaratta-Beechworth
line, sections of the Geelong-Colac line and the Ararat-Hamilton line. In 1877
in South Australia they built the railway from Kapunda to the Murray River.

In 1880 Robb built the Victor Harbor breakwater and a section of the Adelaide
sewers. He also constructed the first section of the Fremantle to Guildford
railway in Western Australia; when the governor opened the line in September
1880 he said that 'not a single case of dispute between the Works Department and
the contractors had been brought to his notice'. Other contracts held by Robb in
Victoria included the Morwell-Mirboo (1884), Footscray-Bacchus Marsh (1884-87),
Murtoa-Warracknabeal (1885-88) and Moe-Narracan (1886-88) lines.

Constantly on the move, at various times Robb had mining interests in Ballarat,
Rutherglen and Tasmania. He was a founding director of the Federal Bank in 1881
and of the Melbourne Hydraulic Power Co. in 1887. Robb's Buildings (1885) on the
corner of Collins and King streets was reputedly the highest structure in
Melbourne. By 1889 he held valuable freeholds and leaseholds in Victoria and
South Australia and had £30,000 invested in the Cudgen Sugar Plantation on the
Tweed River in New South Wales. In 1881-82 he had bought Talawanta and Toulby
stations in the Warrego district of New South Wales in partnership with James
Blackwood's son, Arthur.

Robb's 1887 contract for the second section of the Cairns-Herberton railway led
to litigation with the Queensland government. Robb claimed in excess of
£250,000, was awarded £20,800 and incurred costs of £28,000. By mid-1893 the
case had been settled, but he was in serious financial trouble with large rural
losses and the collapse of the inflated value of his real estate at the end of
the Victorian land boom. The Federal Bank closed and an investigation in 1893
disclosed Robb's part in prodigal milking of funds by its directors. Robb had an
overdraft of £21,000. Insolvent in October 1894 by £680,000 and supported by
relations, he eventually paid 1s. 6d. in the pound.

For many years Robb lived at Coonac, Toorak; aged 62 he died suddenly on 18 May
1896 of apoplexy (BW- stroke)while on business in the city. He was survived by
his wife Elizabeth, née Stranger, three of their eight sons (BW note: actually
four-there were three ADULT sons, and Morty, was 10 or 11) and three daughters.
The funeral cortège was joined at Princes Bridge by two hundred of his workmen,
who marched in two lines to the Melbourne general cemetery. When the news of his
death reached Adelaide, the flag was flown at half-mast from the Royal Exchange.
A Presbyterian, Robb had 'a quiet and effective way' and a 'distinct talent for
managing men'. He left personalty of £2000." (Personalty= goods and chattels;
personal items)

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