A photograph capturing the framed tail feathers of "Jackie the Lyrebird" who was part of the McNeilly family and became quite a famous resident of Drouin.
To put the story into context, the forests of West Gippsland were alive with native lyrebirds at the time of European settlement.

John McNeilly was the first settler to take out land rights in Drouin Junction - now known as Drouin - in 1870.
Some years later, his eldest child Sam found an injured lyrebird in the bush and brought it home to care for. It became a tame family pet and lived on the property.
The lyrebird's name was "Jackie" and he became quite famous when articles about him appeared in various Australian newspapers in the late 1890s.
Jackie was an excellent mimic and could imitate all the various sounds of the farm or the bush. These included the McNeilly bullock driver's commands of "gee up", "whoa there" and "back up baldy" or hob nailed boots walking on a verandah.
Jackie also could mimic the sounds of a dog barking, a pig being killed, flocks of parrots screaming, kookaburras laughing and even the sounds of a violin or piano being played.
Jackie and his mate would often walk into Drouin and were well known by locals.
The lyrebird lived with Sam's family for 20 years. After his death, the McNeilly family preserved his brilliant tail feathers and had them framed.
Appropriately, the Coat of Arms of the Buln Buln Shire, Drouin Primary School and many Drouin sporting clubs over the years was or is a lyrebird.
It is sad that one needs to travel a long distance now to see or hear a lyrebird in the bush.
Information and photograph courtesy of Stories of Drouin, a cooperative oral history project between The Committee for Drouin, Drouin History Group and 3BBR FM to preserve local stories.
The story of "Jackie" is told as part of the McNeilly story can be downloaded from www.storiesofdrouin.com.au