Moe Historical Society, 2 High Street, Moe (2026)

Moe Historical Society is located in the 1st Building off the big round about over the railway line,(The old Moe Court house ).We are open for research & visits every Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm. for the months of February through November. Any research requests can be sent via email to [email protected]. We do not undertake research via Facebook messages or through this page. Meetings are held on

the fourth Tuesday of each month from February to November in 2 High Street Moe. The rooms open at 7.00pm for member & visitors to browse through the collection of historical material .The formal meeting begins at 7.30pm

04/09/2026

This is the story of Don Somerville, who with and his brother Jack, operated Eclipse Dairy in Moe for many years......

The Somerville family owned a farm on Waterloo Road, where Don and his family lived and where the cows were milked. Jack initially lived in George Street and later in Cemetery Road, first in a cottage near “Somerlea” — the home later built by Don and Jack’s parents — and then at Somerlea, on the corner of George and Bennett Streets, which has since been demolished.

Land across the road from Somerlea, behind Bennett Street up to the Narracan Creek, was used to graze dry cows and the Clydesdale horses that many people still remember fondly. In the early days, milk was delivered by horse and cart and poured into customers’ billies. Later, the Moe Butter Factory began bottling and packaging their milk, while the Somervilles continued retailing and delivering it, first by horse and cart and eventually by truck.

In 1971, Jack and Don exchanged roles: Don took over deliveries, while Jack managed the Waterloo Road farm. From this point, the story turns its focus to Don.

This account draws on the recollections of Don’s son Wayne, along with a story written for Don in 1998 for his 70th birthday.

EARLY LIFE & FAMILY

Donald Kingsford Somerville was born at Trafalgar Hospital on 14 June 1928 to John Henry Somerville and Esther Mabel Somerville, née Gibson. He was the seventh of eight children.

The family farmed a rented property, “Meadow Lea”, east of Seven Mile Road at Trafalgar East. Times were tough, and everyone in the family worked hard. As a baby, Don was placed in a banana box against the wall of the milking shed while his parents and older siblings toiled away.

In the early 1930s, the family moved to “Glenairn”, north of the Main Drain at Trafalgar East. Don attended the Yulungah School (No. 3413) there, walking 5.6 kilometres each way.

In December 1934, about 20 centimetres of rain fell in two days, causing what became known as “the great flood”. Fortunately, the Somerville farm included higher ground, so the family was not affected as severely as others in the district. Floodwaters reached the bus depot site in Moore Street, Moe, as well as other parts of the town.

MOVING TO MOE & WARTIME YEARS

In 1938, the family moved to Moe, where Don’s parents purchased a dairy farm on Waterloo Road, and a dairy run based on Bennett Street, then on Moe’s fringe. Don attended Albert Street Primary School and later Yallourn Technical College, where he formed many lifelong friendships, including with Bill Collins, who would become well known as a horse racing caller and radio and television personality.

In 1939, the Second World War began. It was also the year of the Black Saturday fires. Don saw the Baw Baws ablaze, thick smoke over the district, and refugees from the fires being housed in Moe. That year, he also spent five weeks in Warragul Hospital with scarlet fever. After Russell Savage went to war, Don milked cows after school for the Savage family, whose farm was behind the Moe Racecourse.

The Somervilles dispensed milk from a two-wheeled cart at three pence a pint. Later, the milk was taken by ute to the Moe Butter Factory, where it was packaged before being delivered to customers. Don’s father was fondly remembered for his generosity and for giving “a little extra” for large or struggling families.

WORK, MARRIAGE & FAMILY

After the war, the district’s population grew, and so did the dairy. At 19, Don had to give up his night studies in engineering because of the growing demands of the dairy and his father’s sudden and unexpectedly passing when he was 55. He enjoyed football and played for the Moe Seconds. He also loved horses and began working as a penciller for bookmaker Henry Collins, father of Bill Collins.

Don purchased a brand-new 1948 FJ Holden sedan from Charlesworths in Trafalgar. One day at the races, three remarkable wins almost paid for the car, and Don decided that would be the end of his large bets.

Don’s parents moved from a cottage at 4 George Street into a new home next door, on the corner of Bennett Street, which they named “Somerlea”, corner of George Street and Bennett Street, Moe. The dairy was in Bennett Street and consisted of stables, cool room, cart shed and tack room.

In July1954, Don’s father died. Around this time, Don noticed June Foster, the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs A. Foster of Eden Street, Moe, who worked at Wagner’s Butchers. Don and June married in February 1955. Their first son, Wayne, was born later that year, followed by Lorraine in 1958 and Warren in 1960. Unfortunately for Don, his mother died in November 1955.

In 1963, Don and June purchased five hundred acres on Andersons Road, Yallourn North. After extensive clearing and the establishment of buildings, the property was compulsorily acquired by the SECV for an overburden dump that was never built.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

In 1966, Don was a founding member of Lions International in Moe where he served for forty years. He gave generously of his limited spare time in service to the club and the wider community. His favourite projects included fundraising barbecues held at the family’s Waterloo Road farm and children’s camps at his Yallourn North farm, where less fortunate city children could enjoy open space and learn about Moe and the surrounding district.

Don was known as a man of integrity: generous, respected and fondly remembered by those who knew him. He was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship, Lions’ highest form of recognition, honouring strong dedication to humanitarian service.

Don also served for 14 years on the Latrobe Valley Hospital Board, including a term as president, and was a board member of the Moe Community Health Centre.

DAIRY LIFE & HORSES

In 1971, Don and Jack swapped roles. Don and his family moved to the George Street home and dairy, leaving the Waterloo Road farm behind. They soon settled into the rhythm of dairy life, with Don and relief drivers delivering milk to homes, kindergartens, and businesses.

Throughout their dairying years, the family bred, trained their own horses, and built their own milk carts. Local blacksmith, Scotsman Jock Harlow made the ironwork, straps and framing, and Don’s father-in-law, Arthur Foster, completed the carpentry in the farm sheds. It was not uncommon to see a horse in training being driven around pulling a four-wheel cart driven by Mr Wally Horne, a horse whisperer of his day.

In 1986, the dairy was sold, bringing the Somervilles’ long working association with Clydesdale horses to an end. It was an emotional wrench for Don: no longer would the echo of shod hooves sound through Moe’s streets. The era had passed, and the dairy buildings, stables and sheds were dismantled, making the end feel final.

DON’S LATER YEARS & LEGACY

In 1979, Don visited the United Kingdom, where he pursued his love of horses, especially Welsh Mountain Ponies, by visiting renowned studs. He also travelled to County Cavan in Ireland, the home of his mother’s Gibson ancestors.

In 1980, Don’s first grandchild, Ross, was born, soon followed by Peter and Ryan. Douglas arrived in 1984, Brenton in 1985, and Angus in December 1992, completing a family of six grandsons.

When the Yallourn North farm was compulsorily acquired in 1982, Don bought a property in Tanjil South and before long, he and his son Wayne had transformed it into a model farm and later established a quality Hereford herd there.

In retirement, Don enjoyed farm life, often in the company of his grandsons. In 1992, he was awarded an Australia Day “Citizen of the Year” Award by the City of Moe City, a fitting recognition of his many years of community service.

In 1994, Don began facing health challenges but, with the support of family and friends, continued to enjoy a good quality of life. He enjoyed supporting his grandsons and their teams through junior football, often quoting the adage, “Quitters never win and winners never quit.” Don himself was no quitter; to his family and friends, he was a winner.

Don continued to sing in a choir and attend Lions meetings and functions. He moved from the house on the corner, built by his parents, to a new home next door overlooking the land where the dairy cows and grand old Clydesdale horses of Eclipse Dairy once grazed. Don died on 29 June 2011, aged 83, and is buried in Moe Cemetery.

MOE’S OTHER DAIRIES & MILKO’s

During these years, several other dairies also operated in Moe and Newborough. Mountain View Dairy was run by Mr Colin Ross in Stirling Street, while another dairy operated in Rubery Street under Mr John Dwyer. Mr Vorbach also ran a dairy in Newborough.

The exact number of milk deliverers who worked from carts over the decades is difficult to confirm, but several are especially remembered, including Stan Wilson, Brian Johnson, Terry Hutchinson, Lenny Gibson, Rosemary O’Shannon, John Bradbury, Mr van Bruegel, and the Findlay boys.

14/08/2026

We apologise for the length of this article, but the Black Friday fires in 1939 require context because their impact reached far beyond our local area. We’re sharing this part of the story first because the Saxton family had a significant impact on Moe and the surrounding district. In a future post, we’ll cover the fires at Erica, Hill End, Tanjil South & districts.

BUSHFIRES WERE A CONSTANT THREAT BECAUSE MOE was surrounded by dense bushland. In 1898, fires came dangerously close, sweeping through Narracan, Thorpdale, Childers and Trafalgar, as well as the outskirts of Moe. It was the worst bushfire since Black Thursday in 1851. Twenty-eight families south and west of Moe lost their homes, and many others lost fences, feed and stock.

THE MOE FIRE BRIGADE was formed in July 1936. Members trained on a running track in Lloyd Street, then the town’s only bitumen road. The first fire station stood on the north-west corner of Kirk and George Streets. Three years later, the brigade faced a major threat: Black Friday. In 1939, bushfires raged to the north of Moe in what became known as Black Friday. After the district experienced temperatures of 40°, a firestorm swept through the areas between Fumina South, Hill End, and Erica with loss of life and property.

SAXTONS SAWMILL AT TANJIL BREN BEFORE THE 1939 FIRE

The Saxton brothers erected a sawmill in remote Tanjil Bren in 1937. The brothers were born and raised not far from the site of the where fourteen lives were lost in the 1926 Black Sunday fires at Worley’s sawmill near Gilderoy. Familiar with the value of dugouts, they built two at the Tanjil Bren sawmill. The first and largest of these consisted of a long tunnel into the hillside with an entrance facing south and was intended for the mill workers. As fire approached on 13 January 1939, Jack Saxton and thirty mill workers entered the larger dugout in numbers.

The second dugout was smaller and adjacent to the house occupied by mill manager Alfred Bentley (Ben) Saxton and his wife Dorothy. This dugout faced east.

As the fire approached, Mr. & Mrs. Saxton, and a young timber worker named Michael Gorey, (a timber stacker at the mill who was the son of the postmaster at Fumina,) entered the smaller dugout near the Saxton’s house, and six other men went into the C.R.B (Country Roads Board) dug out. It was so dark that they had to use lanterns. When the worst of the fire had passed over, all three were found dead. Ben Saxton sustained head injuries when the front of the dugout caught fire and collapsed. Mrs Saxton and Michael Gorey died from suffocation.

Just south of Tanjil Bren at Fumina South, paling splitter Frank Poynton, farmer Ben Rowley and his wife Agnes Rowley and their three children John, Ben and Mary all perished for want of shelter from the fire.

Mr. & Mrs. Saxton who had been married for two years and had been living in their beautiful mountain home, which was built using specially selected timber, for only six months. All that was left of the house after the devastating fires were two chimneys, a bath and a wash basin.

Moe’s townspeople rallied to fight the fire and to supply aid in the form of temporary housing, transport, clothing and supplies. Luckily, the fires did not reach Moe.

THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AGE JANUARY 16, 1939 - TRAGEDY AT SAXTON’S MILL

“Warragul – The tragic, but unbroken figures of 37 survivors of the fire at Saxton’s mill, Fumina North, arrived at Moe and Warragul on Saturday night. All were exhausted. Some had burnt hands, and two were totally blind. All were without possessions.

The bodies of eight persons who were suffocated or burnt near the mill have been taken to Warragul and have been identified. The deceased persons were Alfred Bentley Saxton, aged 39; his wife, Dorothy Saxton, aged 29; Michael John Gorey, aged 19; William Benjamin Rowley, aged 56; his wife Agnes Rowley, aged 32; John Rowley, aged 4; Benjamin Rowley, aged 2½; Mary Rowley, aged six months, from Tanjil Bren and Francis William Poynton, aged 54 from Moe.

In front of the Rowley homestead was a mass of burning, impenetrable debris. It is thought Mr Poynton died while running to Saxton’s dugout for shelter. Fire came upon the mill through the tops of the tall timber at 1:30pm on Friday. By 2.10pm, 37 mill hands had collected in two dugouts near the mill. John Gorey had left to help Mrs. Saxton to take valuables from their beautiful home to a small dugout near the house. When the fire cut off communications, 31 men were in the big dugout, six in a smaller one nearby and Mr. and Mrs. Saxton and Mr Gorey were in the dugout near the house. Impelled by a roaring north-west wind, flames leaped across the clearing. Big lumps of wood flaming against a sky as dark as night ignited everything they touched.

The bodies of Mr & Mrs Saxton and Mr Gorey were carried out to the road on stretchers out of the mill on to the road, where they were transported by a motor truck, and eventually arrived at Warragul. They had to carry the bodies 11 miles through the burnt forest.”

The Rowley family were later buried at Warragul Cemetery.

FIRES BURNED FOR WEEKS BEFORE BLACK SATURDAY

From December 1938 to January 1939, fires burnt out around two million hectares. Seventy-one people died and more than 1300 buildings were lost – more than 700 homes, 69 sawmills, many businesses, farms and other buildings were destroyed. The most severe fires came during a firestorm on January 13, Black Friday, and about 75 per cent of Victoria was affected. The fires claimed 36 lives in Victoria on Black Friday.

On 8 January, two people died in the Toolangi State Forest. By Monday 9 January, fires were burning in Dromana, Arthurs Seat, Frankston, Dandenong Ranges, Cockatoo, Noojee, Moe, Yallourn, Bairnsdale, Harrietville, Mt Bogong, Orbost, Woodend and Mt Macedon.

By 10 January, almost all the forests in the Great Dividing Range were on fire. There was a large outbreak around the town of Erica, north-east of Moe, and at Powelltown between Yarra Junction and Noojee.

By 13 January – Black Friday – the temperature reached 45.6 degrees Celsius in Melbourne, and 47.2 degrees Celsius in Mildura with very low humidity levels. Narbethong, Noojee, Woods Point, Nayook West and Hill End were completely destroyed by the fires on this day.

William Cyril Bolton, aged 70 of Aberfeldy and J. Castonelli, an aged Italian of Hill End, were also victims of these fires.

Hill End (26km north of Moe) was completely destroyed. Four other townships - Narbethong, Nayook, West Noojee (apart from the hotel) and Woods Point– were also completely destroyed.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) was established in April 1945, uniting bushfire and country fire brigades. Although many believe the 1939 bushfires led directly to its creation, it was the 1944 fires at Yallourn that finally prompted the state government to act.

01/08/2026

Steam trains carry a timeless romance, and today’s return journey from Melbourne to Moe and Traralgon on Steamrail Victoria’s Snow Train Locomotives R711 and R761 leading thirteen carriages gently recalls the locomotive, carriage and van that once stood proudly at Old Gippstown. Along the line, families and friends gather to feel the wonder of steam again and keep its memory alive.

LOCOMOTIVE K154 ARRIVAL AT OLD GIPPSTOWN HERITAGE PARK

Loco K154 was built in 1940 by Victorian Railways and was transferred by Victorian Railways to Old Gippstown in 1971. The Apex Club of Moe donated $600 towards the cost of its purchase.

It hauled a special train to Rosedale and, on the return journey, was moved into the museum, together with a passenger carriage and guard van, across the Princes Highway via the temporary spur line from the main line. Before being shunted into position, K154 was stabled overnight at Moe.

One of our Facebook followers recalls that his father served in the CMF’s (Citizen Military Forces – now known as Army Reserve) 38th Field Squadron Unit of the Royal Australian Engineers, Yallourn, which laid the railway line into Old Gippstown so the locomotive could be parked there. If you have any further information, please let us know. Volunteers from Old Gippstown, (then known as the Moe Folk Museum) and the Locomotive Restoration Group were also involved.

After many years on site, K154 deteriorated significantly and was transferred to Newport Railway Workshops, South Williamstown. By then, the wet Gippsland climate had taken its toll, and the locomotive had become derelict.

THE LOCOMOTIVE’S REMOVAL FROM THE MUSEUM

Work began at Moe in August 2002 to dismantle K154 and prepare it for relocation to the Newport Railway Workshops. The ashes from its final fire were reportedly still visible beneath the firebox, and the boiler had not been emptied after its last run. By March 2005, dismantling of the locomotive was underway and asbestos lagging was removed from the locomotive boiler.

Some parts of the loco were scrapped and other parts stayed with the restoration group at Newport, (later based in Traralgon at the former Traralgon locomotive depot,) which has a long-term project to rebuild it completely as an N-class steam locomotive.

B & W photos sourced from Moe Historical Society and coloured photos shared with permission.

24/07/2026

Last week, we shared the story of Michael “Chicken Mick” Gotis and his wife, Effie — a story of love, family loyalty, sacrifice, enterprise and commitment to their adopted community of Moe. With parents of such strength and character, it is no surprise that the next generation has also made its mark.

This chapter continues their story by reflecting on Michael’s passing, the legacy of Chicken Mick’s Golden Hen Moe, and the achievements of his sons, Peter and Manny, in sport, business and community life.

MICHAEL’S PASSING AND FUNERAL

Chicken Mick passed away on 17 October 2012, aged 73 at Maryvale Private Hospital surrounded by his family. After successful surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, his health continued to decline, leading to further complications and, sadly, a diagnosis of lung cancer.

His funeral was held on 25 October 2012 at the Greek Orthodox Church in Elgin Street, Morwell. The service drew a large gathering of mourners, reflecting the many lives he had touched. He was later laid to rest at Trafalgar Cemetery, honouring Mick’s special request to be near the highway so he could, in spirit, wave to family and friends as they passed by.

RECAP OF LAST WEEK’S STORY

If you missed last week’s life story about Chicken Mick and his wife Effie, here is a quick recap. The full version of the story can be seen by visiting last week’s post on the Moe Historical Society’s page.

Michael Gelagotis, later known as Gotis, and Effie Nikolaou married in South Melbourne in 1966. Their eldest son, Peter, was born in Birchip in 1967, followed by Emmanuel (Manny) who was born in Nhill in 1969. The family later moved to Melbourne, then Warragul, before settling in Moe in 1978 till now.

After arriving in Australia, Michael, for business reasons legally shortened his family surname to Gotis, and his children were raised under that name. In adulthood, Peter and Manny both reverted to the original family surname, Gelagotis. Their mother, Effie, remains a Gotis to this day.

The family first lived in Moore Street and later in Langford Street, on the corner of Linton Street, in the red-brick home that still stands today. They also lived in Gardner Street before relocating to their six-acre property on Thompsons Road, Newborough.

Both boys attended Albert Street Primary School and then St Paul’s Marist Brothers College in Traralgon before completing their education at Lourdes. Peter also spent one year at Moe High School in Form 1 before transferring to St Paul’s and Lourdes College.

Peter has three children: Michael, Stephen and Mersina. Manny has one child, Michael. Both Michaels were named after their grandfather, Michael, affectionately known as “Chicken Mick”.

Peter and Manny both worked in the family business for a time. Like many children growing up in Moe, they developed a strong love of sport, particularly soccer, tennis and Australian Rules Football.

CONTRIBUTION TO HORSE RACING

Chicken Mick had always been a passionate racing enthusiast. He gained his horse trainer’s licence in 1990 while continuing to balance business commitments with training and owning thoroughbred horses. As the new shop in George Street demanded more of his time, the family’s sporting chapter changed direction. In 2001, Michael handed the reins to Peter.

Peter grew the bloodstock operation onto a much larger stage, training about 500 winners and earning nearly $20 million in prizemoney for his ownership groups over 25 years. His success also helped put the Moe Racing Club on the national stage. He trained outstanding horses and Group 1 winners Levendi, Mourinho and Malaguerra – also Group performed Horses like Hvasstan, Illustrious Lad, Moss N Dale, Miss Roseiano, Module, Long Arm including many more.

After taking over his father’s horse-training operation, Peter won nearly 500 races including major races across Australia, the AJC Derby at Royal Randwick, the Darley Classic and the Underwood Stakes, all at Group 1 level. He has won more than thirty Group races and was crowned Champion Trainer of Gippsland for twenty consecutive years before relocating to the new Pakenham Racing Club in 2023.

Peter’s success places him among an elite group of Australian trainers. His achievements have brought recognition not only to his family, but also to Moe and the wider Gippsland community.

SPORTING PROWESS OF PETER & MANNY

Peter and Manny were both exceptional sportsmen who competed at high levels, particularly in soccer and Australian Rules Football. Their sporting success became another important part of the family’s contribution to Gippsland life, beginning with junior soccer in Warragul and Moe before hard work and maturity shaped their senior careers.

PETER’S SPORTING CAREER

Before his huge success in racing, Peter enjoyed a highly accomplished soccer and football career in Gippsland. He won premierships with Warragul United (1985) and many with Traralgon Olympians Soccer Club (1986,1991,1993 &1994) and was a regular member of the Latrobe Valley soccer squads. The biggest achievement was the Morwell Falcons’ State League Premiership in 1989, one of the major highlights of his soccer career.

He also won an Australian Rules Football premiership with Yallourn North Football Club (1996), Newborough Reserves 2007 (Best on Ground) and played senior football for the Moe Lions in the Gippsland League. Peter was known as a hard-nosed reliable tough defender who was difficult to beat in any code of sport he played and was widely regarded as one of Latrobe Valley soccer’s standout players of his generation.

MANNY’S SPORTING CAREER

Inspired by his brother’s achievements with soccer, Manny achieved premiership successes with Warragul United (1985), Traralgon Olympians (1986,1991,1993 & 1994) — where he was also player/coach of the 1994 Triple Crown side — and Moe United (2013). He represented Latrobe Valley soccer squads regularly and also played for Victorian Country and Victoria at Youth level. His achievements across both soccer and Australian Rules Football make him one of Gippsland’s most decorated dual-code sportspeople.

Manny advanced his soccer career after being recruited by Morwell Falcons in 1987, making a strong start in the Victorian State League/Premier League. After being cut from the squad in late 1989 following a fallout with the coach, he returned locally to Traralgon Olympians before moving on to Croydon City and Port Melbourne Sharks. For the next four to five years, Manny was, as they say, in the soccer wilderness. That changed when legendary former Socceroos coach Frank Arok recognised him as a tough, reliable defender of real substance. After an impressive year with the Sharks, Frank did not hesitate to bring Manny back to Gippsland when he was appointed head coach in 1996.

Manny played professionally for Gippsland Falcons in the Australian National Soccer League from 1996 to 2001 (104 games and captain of the Tynan Eyre Cup Squad winning Pre Season final 1998) which put the polish on a great soccer career. His selection among the best players in the Morwell Falcons’ 50th Anniversary Squad, alongside leading figures in the football community, was a career highlight.

Manny also enjoyed success with his other sporting passion Australian Rules Football, including premierships with Gormandale Football Club in 1995, Heyfield Football Club in 2000 and Newborough Reserves in 2007. He also played approximately 100 games for the Moe Lions in the Gippsland League.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

Peter and Manny remain deeply connected to Moe through business and relationships established by their entrepreneurial parents. Manny has contributed to the Committee for Moe as Chair, was a member of the inaugural Committee for Gippsland Board, and was involved with Rotary for a small period dedicating much time to making Moe a better place to work and live.

He also served as President of the Moe Lions Football Netball Club from 2014 to 2024. During that time, he implemented and oversaw strong junior development, premiership successes in both football and netball and the emergence of many Australian Football League draftees through a strategic junior development program led by great coaches and helped set up a footprint of stability around professionalism and attitude.

A major highlight was Manny’s influence to create the improvements of Ted Summerton Reserve. The reserve is set to become one of regional Australia’s leading sporting facilities, hosting AFL and Big Bash Cricket matches and bringing high profile games and events to Moe and Latrobe City.

CHICKEN MICK’S LEGACY LIVES ON

Michael’s Golden Hen Moe remains strong in the fond memory of its fearless founder Chicken Mick and his much-loved, hardworking lifelong partner, Effie. Its commitment to quality and sustainability continues to reflect the foundations built by one of Gippsland’s finest, “Chicken Mick”.

Today, Manny, his wife Vicki, and young Michael Jnr—the third generation—continue to run the business, preserving the family legacy and keeping one of Moe’s most iconic brands alive for the community.

17/07/2026

What began as a simple story about “Chicken Mick” and his family quickly grew into something much bigger — a rich tale of love, courage, hard work and legacy. So here is Part 1 of the Gotis family story, with Manny and Peter’s chapter to follow next week.

MICHAEL & EFFIE GELAGOTIS

Michael (Gotis) Gelagotis left Greece for Australia in 1956, travelling alone at the age of seventeen with no money and a suitcase with clothing and dreams of a better life. He was born in Stipsi a village in Lesvos (aka Le**os), Greece and was one of two siblings born to Peter and Maria Gelagotis. During the long boat trip to Australia, Michael’s father Peter died in Greece and on his arrival to Australia the news was met with a lot of regret and not many options.

Michael initially established a fruit business in the Mallee region of Victoria. To ease business transactions and integration in country Victoria during that era, he legally shortened his surname to Gotis. His children were raised under the name Gotis before his two sons later reverted to their original surname, Gelagotis upon marriages. However, to this day, Effie remains a Gotis.

Effie left Greece in 1965 at the age of seventeen. Born in Peraia, a seaport near Athens, she spent about a month travelling alone by ship to Australia. Her two sisters later migrated to Bendigo and Minyip respectively and in 1985 both families relocated back to Greece which left Effie here on her own in Australia.

From the age of eleven, Effie trained and worked as a hairdresser in Greece. After arriving in Australia, she continued hairdressing in Birchip, a craft she loved deeply, and cut hair for family members and others in the local community.

MEETING & MARRIAGE

Michael had noticed Effie while delivering fruit and vegetables to Sea Lake, where he supplied a business owned by one of two uncles Effie had already in Australia. That uncle, however, never told Effie about Michael’s interest as he wanted to protect her.

Officially Michael and Effie first met in Bendigo about a year after Effie arrived in Australia, in a moment that would quietly change the course of both their lives. Their paths crossed a second time at the real estate business owned by Effie’s other uncle, Nick, who was giving her a lift to her workplace at the BLB Corporation P/L yarn factory. Michael was there on business, but it was Effie who captured his attention again. Later, her uncle told her that she had caught Michael’s eye—a simple observation that marked the beginning of a lifelong love story.

They met in September 1966 and married on 10 December 1966. Their first child, Peter, was born in Birchip in 1967. Their Greek Orthodox wedding was held at the Greek Orthodox Church in South Melbourne, where Effie was given away by her two Greek uncles.

Because Effie was technically underage and needed parental consent to marry, she increased her age by one year on paper. A few days before the Greek Orthodox service, she and Michael also married in the Bendigo Catholic Cathedral with two witnesses present in order that the pre-arranged wedding in the Greek Orthodox could take place, along with the much-anticipated wedding festivities.

FAMILY LIFE & MOVES ACROSS VICTORIA

Michael and Effie lived in Birchip before moving to Nhill, where their second son, Emmanuel (Manny), was born in 1969. The family later moved to Melbourne, then Warragul, and finally to Moe in 1978, at a time when the town was growing strongly because of the expanding power industry in the Latrobe Valley and this is where they found stability and growth in the family business and life in general.

In Moe, Michael and Effie opened a fish and chip shop in George Street, opposite the pedestrian crossing, followed by a fruit shop next door. Peter and Manny were raised first in Moore Street and then in Langford Street - on the corner of Linton Street, in the red brick home that still stands today. Later, Michael and Effie built a block of four units in Gardiner Street, and the family lived in one of them before relocating to their 6 acre property in Thompsons Rd Newborough.

Both boys attended Albert Street Primary School and then St Paul’s Marist Brothers College in Traralgon before crossing to Lourdes to finalise their education. Peter also spent one year at Moe High School (Form 1) before transferring St Paul’s & Lourdes College.

BUSINESS & THE “CHICKEN MICK” LEGACY

In 1984, Michael and Effie purchased a shop in Moore Street and named it Michaels Golden Hen before expanding the operation in 1996 building a brand-new complex to be known as Michaels Golden Hen & Silks Restaurant on George. The business was colloquially known as “Chicken Micks” and the name stuck, both to the business and to Michael who was so well known for his hard work, quality food and dedication to the customers and community which still stands strong today. Effie constantly worked tirelessly side by side with Michael in all their enterprises and was and still is the backbone to the family in many ways.

RACING INTERESTS

Michael’s interest in horses began when he lived in the Mallee. His involvement started with the trots, continued with greyhounds in Warragul, and later shifted to thoroughbred horses in Moe. In the late 1990s, he applied for and was granted a horse trainer’s licence at the Thompsons Rd property where he had reasonable success.

As a passionate racing enthusiast, he balanced his business with training and owning thoroughbreds before the new shop in George Street took up his time handing over the reins to eldest son Peter who took the bloodstock operation to a global stage putting the Moe Racing Club on the global page with the huge success training great horses like Levendi, Mourinho, Malaguerra, Hvasstan, Illustrious Lad and many more stars.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION

Manny describes his parents as tough, hardworking and generous contributors to the community. Over many years, Michael and Effie sponsored countless organisations, local sporting clubs and schools, particularly in Moe and surrounding areas. They invested not only their money, but also their lives and energy, into the town and employed hundreds of young community people that were valued and respected.

Michael (Gotis) Gelagotis, and his devoted, hardworking wife Effie came to embody a deeply moving post-war immigrant story—one shaped by sacrifice, love, family loyalty, tireless enterprise, and an enduring commitment to the community they made their own and the Moe community has been the backbone to the family success in which the family is grateful.

Michaels Golden Hen Moe remains as strong as ever in the fond memory of the fearless founder and the quality and sustainability lives strong on the foundations built by one of Gippsland finest “Chicken Mick”.

Today, Manny, his wife Vicky, and young Michael Jnr (third generation) continue to run the business, carrying on the family legacy and keeping one of the town’s most iconic brands alive for the community to enjoy.

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2 High Street
Moe, VIC
3825

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1pm - 4pm

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https://moehistoricalsociety.org/

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