John Robb

John Robb (4 September 1834 – 18 May 1896) was an Irish immigrant to Australia who was responsible for several important civil engineering works.

History Robb was born in Lislaird near Castlederg, County Tyrone, Ireland, to Arthur Robb and his wife Sarah Robb, née Bird. In 1854 Robb and two brothers Robert (aged 18) and Samuel (aged 15) left for Australia aboard Fitzjames, arriving at Melbourne in October 1854.

He joined the rush to the goldfields, teamed up with fellow Fitzjames passenger Thomas Stranger carting stone, then formed a partnership Overend & Robb with Best Overend (c. 1833 – 30 November 1877) as contractors. Around 1860 Overend & Robb won a contract to demolish Batman's Hill to make way for the projected Spencer Street railway station. Later projects of Overend & Robb were the Sunbury Industrial Schools and sewerage and water supply works at Coleraine and Yan Yean in Victoria. 1875 - Overend & Robb - Portland railway line between and , then between Hamilton and , including the pier

Robb was a strong man who barely had a day's illness in his life, and died suddenly of apoplexy. His remains were buried in the Melbourne Cemetery.

Other interests He was partner with Arthur Blackwood in Talawanta Station, near the Queensland border He had large sugar plantations on the Tweed River, New South Wales He had interests in mines of Ballarat, Rutherglen, and the tin-fields of Tasmania He was a major shareholder and founding director of the South Australian Brewing Company He was largely responsible for the building of the Wesleyan Church, Toorak He was associated with the Presbyterian Church

Recognition Robb's Monument, a natural stone pillar near Barron Gorge, was named for him.

Family John Robb married Elizabeth Stranger (c. 1840 – ) on 6 October 1858. They had thirteen children, of whom seven survived him: Arthur T. Robb, civil engineer with extensive contracts in Victoria William J. Robb, solicitor of Victoria John Robb, sugar plantation manager in Queensland Mortimer Robb Maggie Robb married Charles Mortimer Muirhead, of Adelaide, on 11 October 1882 Lizzie Victoria Robb married Alfred Dunn, architect of Melbourne, on 16 April 1890 Miss Robb Their home for many years was "Coonac", Clendon Road, Toorak.