Our neighbour dropped by on his quad bike this morning to see how our olive grove clearing is progressing. It’s been unkempt for a while and yesterday we had a good go at tidying it up.
As we stood in the sunrise, we learned something: Mulberry Tree Farm was once home to a Melbourne Cup winner! Amazed at such Bush Telegraph news, I cross-checked Google and discovered the outrageous events that did take place in The Race That Stops A Nation!
In 1921, scandal erupted when, after “a failure of favourites” in inclement weather conditions, a certain “three-year-old member of the disparaged sex” did take first prize. Sister Olive, the filly from Mulberry Tree Farm at 10-1 odds, cleaned up the £8,050 winnings!
This olive grove was once a horse paddock and home to Sister Olive. And it seems the winning filly is still shining in her glory evidenced in this pic I took when I learned about this piece of horse racing history!
If you have time, click on the link below. It’s the full article from The Argus which was Melbourne’s morning daily newspaper from 1846 to 1957. It captures the 1921 racing scene so beautifully through its descriptive writing.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4625744
Mulberry Tree Farm 