Wellington is another long lost Settlement in the parish of Duneed. Maybe it never became a township as very little is known of it. From accounts at the time it seems to be situated near the junction of Drewry Lane, Cape Otway, Hunts and Mount Duneed Roads. The first mention of Wellington was in the published diary of Rev James Bickford. He visited the area in January 1856 to find out if the residents of the district wanted a Wesleyan church. Services were held in the home of the Dow family until John Rout Hopkins offered land for the church to be built. This was conditional on it being built of brick or stone. Hopkins was married to Eliza, daughter of George Armytage who owned many blocks in this area. In July 1867 Rev Bickford again visited the area to select land for the church. The foundation stone for the church was laid in April 1868 and the first service was held later that year. Rev Bickford officiated at the opening service. In 1871 a petition was presented to Council to have the road grubbed and cleared from the chapel to Thomsons Creek. The last known reference to Wellington was in the council minuted in 1899. |