Jinnie Bunston and David Wilkie

Jinnie (left) with sisters Fanny and Mary

Jane Louisa “Jinnie” Bunston was born on December 23^rd 1878 at Skipton, Victoria. Jinnie was the seventh child of George and Elizabeth Bunston.  She attended Skipton Common School, and is likely to have completed her education in 1892.

Before she married, Jinnie lived at "Mount Widderin", a property just south of Skipton on the Lismore Road.  The 30,000 acre sheep station was owned by the Austin family at the time.  The 1906 electoral roll states she worked as home duties so chances are she was a maid in the house. 

Jinnie married David John Wilkie on July 3^rd 1906.  They owned the general store near the Mt Emu Creek Bridge on the west side of the creek.

David was the third of twelve children of David Stewart Wilkie and Marion Murray. 

Together David and Jinnie had three children: Georgina (1908); Phyllis (1911) and David (1916).

Jinnie and David later lived in Lismore Road, Skipton opposite the home of Jinnie’s sister Mary. Here David ran a petrol agency.

Sadly, Jinnie died on December 22^nd 1919 a day before her 41^st birthday. She is buried in the Skipton Cemetery.

The old General Store, pic sourced on Trove taken by John Collins

After Jinnie's death, her sister Mary helped David raise his young children before his second marriage. David married Mary Victoria “Sis” Cairns after Jinnie’s death, and they had a daughter, Mary Carmel together.

Sis was the daughter of Robert Cairns and Frances McCoy. She was born in 1887.

David, who died on December 23^rd 1948 aged 71 is buried at Skipton with his first wife.  Sis died in Ballarat in 1965, aged 78.