John Gooch

Born: 1784, Died: 12/07/1858

Born in 1784 in England, John Gooch traveled to Perth and arrived on the 28th of December 1831, on board the ‘Egyptian’. He voyaged with his two sons, his two daughters and his wife, Anna-Maria. His son’s names were John and George and his daughters names were Susan and Charlotte. Sadly, due to the treacherous conditions on board the ‘Egyptian’, Anna-Maria and Charlotte died.

Over 1, 000, 000 acres of land had been claimed by settlers before John arrived in the Swan River Colony. In 1830, prior to John’s arrival, Ensign Dale had surprised many settlers with the discovery a large tract of good land in the Avon Valley. It is here that several well-known Western Australian towns were founded. John Gooch settled with his family on a farm called Mokine in the town of Northam. After being a successful farmer in England, John decided to ply his trade as a shepherd on the resourceful land of Mokine. He held pastoral leases during the period of 1851-1852. John leased ‘Deepdale’ at Toodyay from Lukin and died there on the 12th of August 1858.

Mokine is a 9,000 acre block of hilly pastures and agricultural land. Situated on the farm is a dam, an orchard, where various fruits are grown, and a vineyard, where wine is produced. Several types of livestock are cared for on the farm, including cattle, sheep, pigs and horses. The farm’s reputation has been enhanced by the products of it livestock, including butter and other dairy goods, as well as a collection of jams, made from the choicest fruits, and wine. These famous Mokine products have won hundreds of prizes for their exceptional quality. When John died, aged 74, he passed the property onto his son George Joseph Gooch. Mokine has continued to be a successful and an abundant tract of land in the years that have followed.