Position in the Family

John was the eldest in the family, one of five, it was almost as if his parents had a family in two parts. The first portion of the family had been born in Cornwall and had come across to Australia on a ship and was made up of the three eldest children John, Philip & Emma.  The second portion had been born in Australia and began with Frederick who was 19 years Johns junior closely followed two years later by the youngest member of the family Helen Harriet.  Helen was turning 8 when her brother John had his first child.
The boys, John, Philip and Frederick, were close in spite of their age difference.  John worked closely with Frederick in the Francis Ormond Mine (1881 'EXPLOSION OF LITHOFRACTEUR AT CALIFORNIA GULLY.', Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), 11 July, p. 2, viewed 12 February, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88635406). All the boys had learnt a trade as they were growing up, John had learnt butchering, Philip had learnt carpentry and Frederick had learnt engine driving. With these trades they could join the world of work anywhere in Australia. Later when John changed his profession and become a well established mine manager in the area. Even after John became a well regarded mining manager in the community himself, he insisted like his father had done, that his own son become qualified in his profession 

“Amongst the successful candidates for first class mining managers' certificates was Mr. J. Ebbott. junr.. son of Mr. J. Ebbott, manager of the Forest Creek Gold Reefs mine, Castlemaine.” (1905 'THE HIGH COMMISSIONER BILL.', Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), 10 November, p. 4, viewed 12 February, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89534286)

Education and a solid education were highly valued and priced in the Ebbott Family.
The youngest Helen who was only 6 when her father died, and had spent those years on the family farm and in the bosom of their tight knit church community.  When Helen & John’s father died thier mother moved the family into town a place that she found an exciting and bustling. A few years after arriving in town when she was 9  her only sister got married, leaving only her mother, Frederick and herself in the house.  Both Frederick & Emma went to school, being much younger than the others they both went to the newly established local school. Their father had thought education very important and had even been involved in setting up the school.(History of Chewton State School SS1054 (Published for Centenary Celebrations Saturday, October 20, 1962))

1853 'MOUNT ALEXANDER.', The Sydney Morning Herald(NSW : 1842 - 1954), 2 February, p. 2 Supplement: Supplement to the Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 13 February, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12943356