A mix up with mail between siblings which left a Corop family with dual surnames was again a hot topic of discussion at the Speer family — or Speers, depending on when you were born — reunion in Rochester at the weekend.
The three-day reunion started on Saturday and continued through until the extended members of the families were involved in Anzac Day events on Monday.
No better example of the unique family history was when owners of Viewfield, Geoff and Trevor Speer, hosted the family reunion, which had been organised by Kaye Speers.
Viewfield was located on Speer Road, which had a name change when Kaye’s grandfather William added an extra letter to the surname — it then became Speers Rd.
The mix up between the four sisters and their brother William instigated the name change, to ensure the sisters wouldn’t receive their brother’s mail.
The Speer name, for at least half the family, was changed to Speers three generations ago.
Six and two-year-old Alexis and Jax Brisbane represented the sixth generation of the family at the event.
The name change wasn’t completed legally, so lawyers have regularly had to be called in to assist in property matters.
Not far from Viewfield was the other Speers property, Omagh, which was named after the Irish origins of the family.
Kaye Speers and her partner, Mervyn Wild, organised the Rochester reunion after the first reunion at Hay last year was organised by Terry Beed and Bruce Wall.
It attracted 30 family members to the NSW farming community.
It was such a success the family decided to have a second event at the original farm.
People travelled from Bendigo, Portland, Hay, Sydney and Melbourne.
Talented musician Stuart Beed, from Sydney, was called on to assist the Nanneella, Lockington and Rochester communities while he was attending the reunion.
The music master and band director played The Last Post on his trombone during Campaspe regional Anzac Day ceremonies.
Great-grandfather of Geoff and Trevor Speer, John (and eventually his wife Martha), selected the land after arriving from his gold-mining exploits in 1870.
Geoff Speer is now living in Rochester, while his brother Trevor still lives at Viewfield with his wife Jenny.
Viewfield was originally a 1000-acre property, but sales of land over the years have reduced it to a 300-acre holding.
The Speer and Speers family were able to experience much of the family history as the original family home still is standing at Viewfield.
On the former site of the Omagh property they were also able to visit Blue Wren cottage, a bed and breakfast owned by the Minns family.
A 1919 Thornycroft truck, bought by John Speer from Melbourne and driven to Corop with him sitting in a makeshift driver’s seat — a wooden box — still sits on the farm.