Richard Grose Varcoe was born to Thomas, a quarryman and Sarah (Grose) of the hamlet known as the 'Bridges', Luxulyan, Cornwall.

Sarah Matilda Susannah Creighton was born in Sydney, Australia to Mary Hudson and George Creighton. She was adopted by Mr & Mrs James Stuart.

Richard Varcoe arrived in New Zealand via Australia. He moved to St Bathans where he was involved in the construction of the Scandinavian water race and the running of the company.

In October of 1874, Richard Varcoe was appointed working manager for the Carrick Range Water Race Company.

Richard Varcoe (1) may have stayed in the Ferry Hotel when he first arrived in Bannockburn. James Stuart was involved in mining ventures on the Carrick Range so they shared a common interest. James Stuart was also a director of the Carrick Range Water Supply Company and Susan Stuart turned the first sod on 20 Apr 1872. Mr Varcoes job as a working manager of the Carrick Range water race would have required him to live on the job in a tent. However he may have stayed with the Stuarts in dwelling #158 when not working on the water race.

Richard was appointed as the Manager of the Carrick Range Water race company.

on Feb 22 1877, at the dwelling house of Mr James Stuart in Cromwell, his adopted daughter Sarah Matilda Susannah (Creighton), a minor married Richard Grose Varcoe, full age, a miner of Cromwell. The officiating minister was the Rev. Benjamin Drake. The witnesses were Hannah Behrens, Margaret Marshall and Sarah Alice Halliday, all of Cromwell.

It appears that the couple may have repaired dwelling #158 and live there for some time - until around 1883.

Sarah Susannah Varcoe (2) was born in Bannockburn.

In Jan 1878, John Taylor replaced Richard Varcoe as manager of the Carrick Range Water Supply Company.

Thomas Varcoe (Tom) was born in Bannockburn.

Richard Varcoe may have joined with Charles Tipper in a mining venture. This may have been in the Felton Road are of the Pipeclay Sludge Channel - see location #149.

Richard Grose (2) was born in Bannockburn. (He later became the proprietor and editor of the Cromwell Argus newspaper)

Annie Kate Varcoe was born in Cromwell.

The Richard Varcoe family moved to Cromwell, however it appear that Richard may have continued to mine in Bannockburn for some time. (The author has no directories from 1878-1886. From 1887 - 1892 there is no record of Richard Varcoe in Bannockburn. No directory for 1893. In 1894, Richard Varcoe is listed in Stones directory for Bannockburn as a water race manager. He continued to be listed until 1904, and not listed at all from here on. It is not clear which water race Mr Varcoe was managing, or where he lived. He may have lived in location #158 but there is no mention by J P Parcell at all. It appears that Richard Varcoe also lived with his wife in Cromwell and may have worked in Bannockburn during the week. Later Richard Varcoe worked as a station cook which meant he could be away from home for months. There is no record of him working in Bannockburn, however he did work at Bendigo.

On Sunday 21 Jun, Mr Richard Grose Varcoe (1) died at his home in Cromwell at the age of 72 years. He was buried in the Cromwell cemetery.

On Tuesday 21 Aug 1928, Mrs Sarah Matilda Susannah (Susan) Varcoe died at her home in Cromwell at the age of 69 years. She was buried with her husband in the Cromwell cemetery.