near the large bend in the Molonglo River), Illoura (present suburb of North Weston) and Avondale (present-day Holder). In the early 1920s, approximately were subdivided for soldier settlement leases. Weston. John and Ellen Fox were amongst the first settlers in the Weston valley, living at the Weston homestead from the 1860s. The homestead was located near what is now a small reserve on the corner of Calder Crescent and Woolrych Street, Holder. The large pine trees in the reserve were part of the windbreak for the homestead's garden. The driveway to the homestead ran off of Cotter Road, and is still visible as a dirt track between Cotter Road and Dixon Drive opposite the YMCA Early Learning Centre. Several of John and Ellen's nine children were born at Weston, and their son David Fox and his wife Margaret later took over the property. In 1920, the Commonwealth Government acquired the land for use in the Soldier Settlement scheme. Hubert (Fred) Dulhunty was then granted a five-year soldier settlement lease of (Block 30), which was then expanded to in 1926 to incorporate most of the Weston property (Block 24A). Dulhunty did not reside at the property, and the Foxs continued to live and work there. Following David Fox's death at age 49 in 1926, Margaret continued to reside at the property, but then moved to nearby Avondale homestead in about 1933. The Weston and Taylor's Hill leases were purchased by John Dent in October 1932, and used for mixed farming and grazing. The Weston lease was then purchased in 1937 by Rudolph and Eileen De Salis. Rudolph was born at Cuppacumalong homestead near Tharwa, and had lived at 'Bondo' near Cooma and 'Yarrawa' near Adaminaby before moving to Weston. Rudolph remained at Weston until he died in February 1957, aged 70. Members of the De Salis family continued to live at Weston up until the late-1960s. Avondale. Avondale homestead was located off of Kambah Lane just to the northeast of the Weston homestead, in the vicinity of what is now a small reserve in De Graaff Street, Holder. The property (Block 17) extended from Kambah Lane to the west of Narrabundah Hill. Margaret Fox took over the Avondale lease in July 1933. In July 1955 she sold the property to Mr J. Maguire, owner of nearby Melrose, for £29,000. His son and daughter-in-law, Patrick and Mary Maguire, lived at the property