William, son of John and Eliza (née Tombs) Spencer was born in 1844 in Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. He arrived in the colony in December 1852 aboard the John T Foord with his parents (both aged 40) and brothers John (aged 16), William (aged 9) and Edwin (aged 4), according to shipping records. The Spencer family settled at Connewarre in 1855 when John Spencer purchased crown land. John who was born in 1811 in Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, England died intestate in 1858. 

​William married Jane, daughter of John and Isabella (née Abernathy) Gardiner in 1869. They had the following children:
William ​ — born 1870 at Connewarre, married Margaret Watson in 1897, died at Mitiamo in 1933
​​​John James — born 1872 at Mount Duneed, married Jessie Eliza in 1900,
George Arthur — born 1875 at Connewarre, died in 1876 at Connewarre
Emily Helen — born 1878 at Mount Duneed, married James White Curran in 1897, died in 1940
Arthur Edwin ​— born 1887 at Mount Duneed, died 1919 at Euroa
Erwin Mallette ​— born 1887 at Marshalltown, married Kate Sabina Archer in 1913, died 17 August 1917 at sea near Themistocles of meningitis aged 30
​Jane died on 13 March 1887 aged 38 at Connewarre and was buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.

​William accumulated land in Connewarre over many years and in 1884 put his farm in Barwon Heads Road up for sale. In 1882 he had selected 240 acres at Strathbogie. A number of Jane's relatives and others from Connewarre also selected land in this area. By 1887 William was living at Strathbogie.

​In 1888 he married Frances Blyth, daughter of Ewing and Agnes (née Tait) Blyth. Their children were:
Alexander Ewing (Alex) ​— born 1889 at Strathbogie, died 2 April 1972 aged 83, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Ethel Agnes ​— born 1890 at Strathbogie, married Francis Scouler in 1917, died 1958 at Nagambie aged 69
​Robert Blyth ​— born 1891 at Strathbogie, married Ivy Myrtle Fuller in 1915, died 11 March 1972 at Camperdown
Herbert Samuel (Herb) ​— born 1892 at Strathbogie, married Emma Scouler (sister of Francis) in 1930, died 1959 at Nagambie
​Frank Wesley​ — born 1894 at Strathbogie, married Violet Janet Scouler (sister of Emma and Francis) in 1920, died 1935 at Richmond
Edgar Alfred (Alf) ​— born 1896 at Strathbogie, married Eva Florence Bell in 1919, died 1974 at Euroa
Charles Henry ​— ​born 1899 at Longwood, married Lesley Helen Ford, died 8 June 1950, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
​Zachariah Barton (Zack) ​— born 1901 at Longwood, married Marion Frances Maskell in 1927, died 1970 at Numurkah

William died in 1903 at Avenel. Frances died on 19 March 1940 at the age of 78 years at Geelong and was buried in the Spencer plot in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.

John Lowe, son of Henry and Elizabeth (née Lowe) Hobbs, was born on 26 April 1829 at Astwood in Buckinghamshire, England. He married Ann Phoebe Jane, daughter of Thomas and Ada (née Oddell) Austin on 2 November 1847 at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. They left Buckinghamshire in 1853 arriving in the colony in August. Their two children in England were:  
Emma Austin — born 1850, married Henry Austin Bennett on 17 December 1867 at the Wesleyan parsonage at Geelong, married Alexander Reilly in 1882 at Penshurst, died 1937 in Geelong
Sarah Austin — born 10 February 1852, married Walter Rankin on 24 August 1871 at Noble Street  Wesleyan church at Chilwell, died 17 July 1927 buried in the Methodist section of the Highton Cemetery.

John and Annie were both twenty three when they emigrated to Australia as assisted passengers on the Lady Kennaway, with their two small children, John's nineteen year old sister, Sally, and their Allen cousins. John's father, Henry, followed in 1860, paying his own passage after the death of his wife. He died in 1865. John and Annie settled at their home, Bexley Farm in Colac Road Waurn Ponds. Their other ten children were born here:
Charlotte — born 1854 at Waurn Ponds, married Charles Thomas Neale in 1875, died 9 November 1944 at Elliminyt Colac, buried in the Methodist section of the Colac Cemetery
John Emmanuel — twin born 6 April 1856, married Elizabeth Jane Short on 6 December 1887 at Geelong, died 19 April 1912, buried at the Highton Cemetery
Henry —  twin born 6 Apr 1956 at Geelong, died 26 April 1856 at Highton
Louisa Jane — born 1858 at Geelong, married Alexander Steen in 1896, died 13 December 1937 at Geelong, buried in the Methodist section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Ann — born 8 February 1861 at Highton, married John Henry Horwood, died October 14 October 1937 at Geelong West
Ada — born 8 June 1863, died 21 Jun 1870 at Geelong
Susannah Rachael — born 29 September 1865, married Alfred Charles Johns on 7 June 1888, died 1935 at Newport, Victoria
Edwin Austin — born 4 April 1868, married Annie Martha Adcock on 10 August 1893 at the home of the bride in Highton, died 29 October 1956 at Belmont
Henry Thomas Lowe — born 30 December 1870, married Salena Bennet on 4 January 1899 in Geelong, died 29 April 1854 at Geelong
George Abel Austin — born 1873 at Geelong, married Emma Sophia ​Smith in 1912 at Geelong, died 26 April 1958 at Belmont, Geelong

He was a South Barwon Shire councillor, serving from 1873 until 1885.​ In 1879 he was elected to the South Barwon School Board of Advice.

John died on 10 August 1886 at the age of 57 at his residence, Bexley farm in Colac Road, Waurn Ponds. Bexley farm was between the Colac Road and Waurn Ponds Creek probably ​near where the Waurn Ponds shopping centre is now or a bit closer to Geelong​. He was buried in an unknown location at Highton Cemetery. Annie died on 18 December 1920 at the age of 91 years and 11 months and was also buried in unknown location at Highton Cemetery. At the time of her death she had 54 grandchildren and 75 great grandchildren.

Annie, wife of Johns Lowe Hobbs
​News of the Week photo July 1917

​
​

Obituary of Ted Rankin
son of Sarah Austin Hobbs and Walter Rankin
​from The Argus 1 August 1944


​

Thomas, son of John and Sarah (née Brill) Adcock came to Australia on the Larpent ​arriving at Point Henry on 28 June 1849 aged 29 years. He had been baptised in the local Anglican church, although his family were Wesleyans. John and Sarah had 11 children although not all survived to adulthood. John was a nurseryman in Edlington, Lincolnshire and his three youngest surviving sons, Thomas, Edward and Henry, followed him in this occupation.

Alexander Thomson was a supporter of the Sydney Presbyterian minister John Dunmore Lang, whose wish was to encourage the migration of hard-working, God-fearing Protestants to the colony. He sponsored two ships, the Travancore and the Larpent, to bring the settlers to Australia in 1849 with Thomson ready to receive and settle them. Thomson owned section 10 of the parish of Barrabool known as the Kardinia section — a square mile of undulating land.

Thomas married Martha Port of Chertsey, Surrey in 1851 at a Presbyterian church in Geelong. They had no children.

In approximately 1854, a weekly prayer meeting commenced in the Adcock's house. As numbers grew the congregation moved to a larger cottage, before deciding to build a church (St Luke's). 

When Thomas came to live at Highton in 1851 he established the Kardinia Nursery which covered 30 acres on the east side of Thornhill Road in section 10. He had acquired at least eighteen acres of this by 1861. The house was in Kardinia Street (now South Valley Road) on a deep narrow allotment just south of the present Brassey Avenue. He established his Kardinia Nursery on the block which ran behind this in Thornhill Road and down to Kardinia Creek. In those days the creek was always running and provided plenty of water for his plants. William Stinton, a well-known Geelong nurseryman trained at the Kardinia Nursery. A bell used at the nursery was later used at the Highton State School number 304 in Roslyn Road.

After 40 years he retired and his brother Edward, who was five years younger than him, managed the business. 

Thomas was a South Barwon councillor, serving from 1866 to 1879 and from 1874 to 1876. He was president in 1876.

When he died on 23 May 1900 at the age of 80 he was living at Edlington, Laurel Bank Parade, Newtown, a house he shared with his brother Edward. He was buried on the 24 May in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery. Martha died at the age of 72 in August 1882 and is buried beside him. His brother Edward was his executor and next of kin. Edward died on 17 January 1908 at Rutherglen at the home of his son George. The following day the funeral cortege left the Geelong Railway Station, on arrival of the train from Melbourne at 1:40 pm, for the Highton Cemetery. ​He was survived by three of his children, George Henry Adcock, Annie Martha Hobbs and Ruth Amy Mitchell. His wife Amy died on 23 October 1901.

​In 1897 after almost 50 years in business, the nursery was taken over by Robert Robertson and continued trading as Kardinia. In 1899 it was Mr McMurdie, trading under the name of Adcock and McMurdie. In 1901 an advertisement was placed in the advertiser to somehow get someone to take over in some way. After this failed a clearing sale was held.

Francis Bennett arrived in the colony in 1838. He was the son of Alexander and Martha Bennett. The following year on 17 July 1839 he married Mary, daughter of John and Janet (née Park) Herd, at St James old cathedral, near Flagstaff Gardens in Melbourne. He had been connected with the sea, having an interest in several schooners trading between Hobart and Western Port. He successfully piloted the first large vessel, the ​Black Swan up the Yarra.

​He took over the 21,000 acre Loutitt Bay Cattle Station from John Herd in 1855. This run stretched from Painkalac Creek to present day Lorne. 

Later he farmed 100 acres along the east side of Larcombe Street. He was a director of Corio Quartz Mining Company and was memorable for having christened one of his daughters "Kardinia Park".

Francis and Mary had the following children:
George — born 21 September 1840 at Melbourne, married Mary Ellen Taylor, died 1907 at Kensington Hill (Leopold)
William — born 5 May 1843 at Melbourne, married Mary Annie Rae on 19 April 1871 at Camperdown, died 28 January 1918 at Melbourne
John — born 16 February1846 at Highton, died 1938 at Bayswater aged 92, buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery
Eliza — born 31 March 1848 at Highton, married Thomas Yates on 23 May 1871 at Christ Church, Geelong, died August 1927 at Geelong
Francis Alexander — born 30 Apr 1850 at Highton, married Amy Sarah Cowland on 6 November 1878 at St John's Church, Horsham, died 1921 at Murrumbeena aged 82 years
​Kardinia Park — born 12 March 1852, married Frederick William Eaton on 13 July 1870 at St Paul's Church Camperdown, died 25 July 1873
​Robert Park — born 25 July 1854 at Highton,  died 21 January 1937 at Emerald, buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery
​Mary (Minnie) — born 4 August 1856, married James Young on 25 May 1879 at her parent's residence Pine Grove at Kewell, died 24 December 1934 at Hamilton
​Martha — born 1858 at Highton, married James Cox Rowlands in England, died 24 December 1934 at Hamilton
James Ayrie — born 17 July 1860 at Aireys Inlet, married Vesta Olivia Summers, died 1890 at Urana, NSW
Alexander — born 1862 at Highton, died 1934 at Wonthaggi aged 69

​Francis was a trustee of the Church of England at Highton and was on the Anglican School Committee. He was a South Barwon Shire councillor serving from 1865 until 1870. He was appointed by the Board of Education to the local committee of common school number 304. ​

Francis Bennett lived on 100 acres of land on the corner of Larcombe Street and Roslyn Road which has Kardinia Creek running through it. This creek has been piped under part of Bellevue Avenue and just south of Barrabool Road, then crosses Barrabool Road near where it joins the Barwon.
​

Francis settled at Kardinia Farm, Highton with his family about 1850. He shifted to the Wimmera in 1874 and remained there until his death on 28 December 1894 at the age of 80 years. He had been in the colony 56 years.
​

A letter to the childrens' column by Kardinia Park, daughter of George and Mary Bennett.
​

​About 1850 Francis settled at Kardinia Farm, Highton where he spent many years. He shifted to the Wimmera in 1874 and remained there until his death on 28 December 1894 at the age of 80 years. He had been in the colony 56 years.