Blog

Robert Albert Scott

18/10/2019

Robert Scott

Robert Scott's house, Barwonside, was once owned by George Gardiner and later Charles Palmer

Robert Albert (Nip), son of William and Elizabeth (née Tait) Scott, was born in 1901 at Connewarre. He married Ethel May, daughter of Charles and Mary Ann Johanna (née Tonacia) Dunn. Robert and Elizabeth had the following children:
Robert Tait — born on 27 June 1927, married Margaret Mary, died on 17 May 2001 aged 73 years, buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Norma — born on 7 November 1928, married Oswald (Ossie) Middleton, died on 3 December 2007
Brian Albert — died in a car accident aged 13 years on 15 March 1946

Robert ran a dairy farm at the end of Kings Lane, Marshall with a small herd of guernsey and fresian cattle. He successfully showed the cattle he bred at Melbourne, Geelong and Colac shows. He was a committee member of the Geelong Agricultural Society.

He was a South Barwon councillor for 19 years, serving from 1949 until 1967. He was president in 1954-55 and 1963-64. He was a life governor of Glastonbury Children's Home in Belmont, a foundation member and president of Marshall Progress Association, president of the Marshall Grovedale Rural Fire Brigade for ten years, president of Southern District Cricket for ten years and president and life member of Marshall Grovedale Football Club.

Robert died on 16 May 1974 at Geelong and was buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with Ethel who died on 7 January 1971 aged 70 years at Geelong and son, Brian.

Next Meeting — John Stewart — Geelong Flour Mills

18/10/2019

Connewarre Flour Mill and its 19th Century Competitors

Our next meeting is at 7:30pm on 14 November, 2019 at Mount Duneed Hall, 40 Mount Duneed Road, Mount Duneed.

John Stewart whose antecedents owned the Connewarre Flour mill will talk about the importance of flour mills in the 19th century.

All Welcome

Richard Gilbert Talbot of Ballinclea

11/10/2019

Ballinclea, Barrabool — named by Richard Gilbert Talbot

Land in the parish of Barrabool was surveyed in 1839, just two years after the survey of Geelong. The first land sales were held in February 1840. Several allotments were of 600 -1000 acres, effectively excluding small farmers. Most were purchased by speculators.

Section 4, originally bought by Benjamin Baxter, was sold to Hon Richard Gilbert Talbot of Ballinclea in 1841. He established a farm close to Waurn Ponds Creek, the site of Raven’s Springs (where John Raven had first squatted).

“When the first instalment of self-government was granted to the colony of New South Wales in 1842, the Act also provided for the introduction of District Councils to provide a measure of local government as well. In 1843 the District Council of Grant was created — a body of six men who were appointed in the first instance by the Government to control an area which extended from the Werribee River in the east to the Hopkins River in the west, and from Bass Strait to 37° south latitude (roughly modern Maryborough). The vast extent of this area and its small and scattered population doomed it to failure, despite the earnest initial efforts of the district councillors to make it work.”
from Ian Wynd: Barrabool Land of the Magpie

Richard was made the first Warden of the District Council of Grant in 1843 a post he held until May 1845 when he resigned.

He was the third son of James, 3rd Baron Talbot of Malahide who had extensive estates in Ireland and Staffordshire. His mother was Anne Sarah Rodbard. His family was one of the oldest in the peerage. They were descended from Richard Talbot, mentioned in the Domesday Book and the Malahide branch settled in Ireland in the time of Henry II.

Richard was born in 1810, educated at Eton College in Windsor, and Balliol College, Oxford University. He lived at Ballinclea in Barrabool in the 1840s. He inherited Malahide in Tasmania from his uncle.

He held the office of High Sheriff of County Dublin in 1847. He was a colonist of Port Nicholson, New Zealand. He held the office of Member of the Legislative Council (Tasmania) in 1851. He lived at Malahide in Fingal Tasmania and Ballinclea in County Dublin. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for County Dublin. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of County Dublin. He married Anne Cunliffe Lister-Kay on 12 October 1847. They had the following children:
Mary Anne Eliza — born on 22 November 1848, died on 4 October 1927
Richard Gilbert — born on 4 August 1856, married Hannah Maud Lovell, died on 12 July 1900 at Dandenong aged 44, inherited Malahide in Fingal Tasmania from his father
Edward Lister-Kay — born on 10 February 1858, died on 15 January 1917

Richard died on 19 August 1879. After his children died there were no descendants.

Ballinclea, Barrabool

— from Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser — 13 January 1842

from NSW Government Gazette 5 September 1843

Malahide, Fingal, Tasmania

Malahide Castle — by William Murphy from Dublin

Peter Mansfield — History of Geelong Cemeteries

10/10/2019

Past Event
Our next meeting is at 7:30pm on 10 October, 2019 at Mount Duneed Hall, 40 Mount Duneed Road, Mount Duneed.

Peter Mansfield, writer of many books about the Geelong and Ballarat districts, will take you on a journey from the first burial in the Geelong Eastern Cemetery to how the Geelong Cemeteries Trust was formed and managed the cemeteries of the Barwon region.

All welcome.

William Scott

4/10/2019

William Scott

William was born in 1853. He came to Geelong as a small boy and grew up in Connewarre. He married Elizabeth, daughter of James and Helen (née Easton) Tait. They had the following children:
William John — born in 1894 at Mount Duneed, died on 9 August 1918 in France
Esther Helen — born in 1885 at Mount Duneed
Esther — born in 1886
George Tait — born on 10 March 1896, married Elsie Florence Lange, died in 1952 aged 56 at Geelong
Alexander James — born in 1887 at Mount Duneed, married Queenie Irene Carson
Margaret Janet — born in 1889 at Mount Duneed, married James Couzens
Elsie Gordon — born in 1892 at Connewarre, married Lewis John (Jack) Challis in 1914, died in 1968 at Highton
Elizabeth Ann — born in 1898 at Mount Duneed, married Lawrence MacDonald in 1926, died in 1987 at West Wyalong
Celia Agnes Scott — born in 1905 at Mount Duneed, married Hector Lawrence Drew in 1940, died on 4 January 1983, buried at Highton Cemetery.

William had a farm and also shot ducks on Lake Connewarre for sale in the Geelong market. He was a South Barwon Councillor for 18 years, serving from 1887 until 1890 and from 1898 until 1913. He passed away on 5 October 1915 aged 63 years and was buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. Elizabeth died on 8 July 1926 aged 66 years and was buried with him.

Ambrose Willcox Walter

27/9/2019

Ambrose Willcox Walter was born in Devonshire, England on 22 April 1833. He came to the colony on the Marchioness of Londonderry in 1853 with his uncle. His parents followed a few years later. At first he worked in the Barrabool Hills near Geelong. At the time of the gold rush he tried his luck, but not being successful he returned to Geelong. He started a butchering business with his youngest brother in the Barrabool Hills. This was very successful and in 1862 he sold his interest in the business to his brother and started farming, a farm he worked for eleven years. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Thomas Smale of the Barrabool Hills. They had the following children:
Albert William — born 2 January 1864 at Barrabool Hills, married Sarah Janet Lawson on 18 September 1888 at Noradjuha, married Marian Anna Neale on 22 April 1903 at Bullumwaal, died on 23 July 1940 aged 76 years at the Mercy Hospital in East Melbourne
Thomas Ernest — born on 18 February 1866 at Barrabool Hill, married Elizabeth Cook in 1887, died on 5 December 1940 at Church Street, Camperdown
Ellis Vincent — born on 13 May 1868 at Barrabool Hills, married Janet Hayes in 1896 at Ballarat, married Annie Ada Middleton in 1906 at Stawell, died on 14 January 1930 aged 61 at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne
Ambrose Edward — born on 15 June 1870 at Barrabool Hills, married Sarah Janet Lawson on 18 September 1888 at Noradjuha, died on 29 February 1948 near Goroke aged 77 years
Frederick Joseph — born on 1 August 1872 at Barrabool Hills, died on 26 February 1925 at Casterton Memorial Hospital aged 52
Bertha Alinda — born on 26 August 1874 at Noradjuha, married Rev Henry Michael Clarke Fowler in 1911 at Noradjuha, died on 17 August 1949 aged 74 at Geelong
Henrietta Evalina — born on 31 December 1876 at Noradjuha, died on 2 November 1944 aged 67 years at Noradjuha
Lily Gertrude — born on 15 December 1878 at Noradjuha, died on 7 February 1879 at Noradjuha
Sidney Arthur — born on 1 March 1881 at Noradjuha, died on 11 October 1949 aged 68 years at Wimmera Base Hospital at Horsham
Phenie Gertrude — born on 3 February 1883 at Natimuk, died on 23 February 1936 aged 53 years at Sturt Street in Ballarat
Norman Edgar — born on 26 May 1885 at Noradjuha, died on 25 August 1973 aged 88 years at Noradjuha

During the time he was farming in the Barrabool Hills he became a Barrabool Shire councillor. When the land in the Wimmera came up for selection he was keen to secure more land for his growing family. He selected land and shifted his wife and five sons to the Wimmera at the beginning of 1874. Not long after arriving he was elected to the Wimmera Shire as a councillor and later an Arapiles Shire as a councillor and president. He took an active part in community life. He was the president of the Natimuk Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and also a trustee of the Western Wimmera Irrigation and Water Supply Trust. He lived in the Casterton district, where he had purchased a property, for about four years, returning to the Wimmera. About seven years before he died he decided to retire from active life, and came back to Geelong. He had leased his property to two of his sons, but regularly visited Noradjuha.

He was an ardent supporter of the Methodist Church, and held the position of trustee of the Bible Christian Church at Horsham before the union of the churches took place. He was a trustee of the church at Noradjuha and at the annual conference often represented the Noradjuha circuit. Church services were held in his house until later when the school was used.

Ambrose died at his property "Oakleigh Park" at Noradjuha on 14 July 1915 and was buried at the Noradjuha Cemetery. Mary Ann died on 29 October 1918 at 44 Buckland Avenue, Newtown when she contracted pneumonia while visiting Geelong. She was buried with Ambrose of the Noradjuha Cemetery.

Roderick Impey Murchison

20/9/2019

Roderick Impey, son of John and Mary Ann (née Roberts) Murchison farmed at Jan Juc (Bellbrae) from 1878. He had leased his land from the estate of Joseph Gundry and it included the homestead "Llanberis".

He became a Barrabool Shire councillor for the Coast Riding in 1881 and served until 1884. In 1888 he left the district. In 1882 he was appointed as a magistrate for the southern bailiwick. In 1892 he was manager of the Bank of New South Wales.

He married Julia Rose Urquhart in 1860 and they had the following children:
John Henry — born 1861 in Kerrisdale
Philip Douglas — born 1871 at Kilmore
Edith Jane — died in 1874
Julia Mabel — married William Fenton McCulloch on 15 February 1915 at St Mary's Cathedral in Hobart

After Roderick's wife Julia died on 9 December 1875 aged 30, he married Alice Maud Whitton in 1878. They had the following children:
Kenneth John — born 1879 at Melbourne
Helen Elizabeth — born 1882 at Melbourne
In 1892 he was insolvent. This was caused by his inability to collect debts from India.

Roderick died on 16 October 1914 aged 82 at 17 The Crofts in Richmond. He left business assets of £160.

from Geelong Advertiser 11 August 1881

1236 acres 3 roods and 14 perches of land leased to Roderick Impey Murchison from Joseph Gundry from 1879 until 1881 stretched south from Hendy Main Road to the township of Bellbrae between Anglesea and Brushfields Roads and further south in the ironbark basin area

from The Argus 13 January 1893

Thomas Smale

13/9/2019

Thomas, son of Thomas and Grace (née Sapling) Smale, was born in 1820 at North Tamerton in Devon.

He was a member of the Bible Christian Church at Mount Moriac.

He was a member of the Barrabool District Road Board in 1860 and 1865 and a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1865 until 1871. He was the honorary secretary pro tem of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society. In 1869 he was appointed as a magistrate for the Geelong and Hamilton General Sessions district. In 1871 he unsuccessfully stood as the candidate for South Grant in the Legislative Assembly election.

He successfully farmed land in the Barrabool Hills, 22 acres of which he leased from John Heard in west side of section 4 and a larger portion which adjoined this land in section 3 (Devon Road) which he owned called Edgecombe Farm.

Thomas died on 24 May 1883 aged 60 years and was buried in the Methodist section of the Highton Cemetery. His wife, Eliza, died on 18 November 1898 aged 74 at her home, 27 Little Myers Street, Geelong and was also buried at Highton Cemetery. An interest in the farm was left to Thomas and Eliza's only daughter, Mary Ann, who married Ambrose Willcock Walter on 6 March 1862. On her death on 29 October 1919 her estate was divided among her children — Ellis Vincent Walter, Albert William Walter, Thomas Ernest Walter, Ambrose Edward Walter, Sidney Arthur Walter, Bertha Alinda Fowler, Hettie Evelina Nitschke, Phenie Gertrude Cranage, Frederick Joseph Walter and Norman Edgar Walter.

from Geelong Advertiser 25 May 1883

Approximate location of the land Thomas Smale farmed between Devon and Ballanclea Roads at Barrabool

from Geelong Advertiser 7 April 1870

from Geelong Advertiser 25 November 1873

from Geelong Advertiser 26 March 1872

Ephraim Mann

6/9/2019

Ephraim Mann, who was born in 1826 was the son of Abel and Mary Butterfield (née Jarvis) Mann. He came to Australia, arriving in January 1850 with his wife, Mary (née Minal) and daughter, Julia on the Lady Kennaway. They had the following children after arriving in Geelong:
Julia — born about 1849
Henry — born about 1850
Alfred — born 1855, died in 1950 at Trafalgar aged 94
Rhoda — born 1857, died in 1939 at Geelong aged 81
Frederick — born 1860, died at East Melbourne aged 81
Laura — born 1863
Walter — born 1864, died 1945 at Trafalgar aged 71
Edwin — born 1867
Francis — born 1871, died 1873, buried in an unknown location at the Mount Duneed Cemetery on 26 January 1873
Emily

Ephraim was elected a member of the Freshwater Creek School Board of Advice in 1872 together with Duncan McIntyre, Thomas Spowart, Joseph Angus and John L Dow.

He was a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1873-1875. He left the district in 1874 settling in the Moe district. When he died, on 8 December 1912 at Coalville near Narracan, he owned 316 acres being crown allotment 88 in the parish of Moe in the county of Buln Buln with a dwelling and farm buildings, valued at £8 per acre.

from Geelong Advertiser 30 December 1872

from Geelong Advertiser 30 June 1874

from Geelong Advertiser 11 August 1873

John Stewart

30/8/2019

article and pictures contributed by John Stewart

John Stewart was born in 1802 in the soldier settlement village of Strelitz, Cargill Parish, County of Perthshire, Scotland. He qualified as a stonemason. After marriage to Lillian McFarlane in 1831, they moved to Dundee, where they had three children, Isabella (1832), James (1834) and Rhoda (1835), who died aged 9 months.

John is believed to have worked on one of several lighthouses then being built around the Scottish coast following which stonemason work was scarce. So when the Australian government advertised for stonemasons to work on the Parramatta gaol, the family came out as bounty immigrants in 1837. Unfortunately James died of Typhus in the quarantine station on arrival.
In Parramatta the family increased, with another six children being born – John (1837), Cunningham (1838, died in infancy), Jane (1841), Alexander (1843), another James (1845) and Lillian (1849). As members of the breakaway Free Presbyterian church, the family followed their minister, Rev. John Tait, to Geelong in 1852. Here, at the Scotch Free Church Little in Malop Street, they became acquainted with John Armstrong, the squatter whose run included Mount Duneed. When the Parish of Conewarre was surveyed and offered for sale in 1856 John Stewart bought two allotments (B&C) in Section 8, immediately south of Armstrong’s Pre-emptive Right. Here he built a homestead with bricks made from clay excavated on the property. The property was called Dooliebeal, an aboriginal word thought to mean “place of the red gums”.

In 1861 he bought Armstrong’s Connewarre Flour Mill, in partnership with a Thomas Palmer, from the Estate of John Armstrong who had died in October, 1856. In 1864 Stewart sold out to James Brown, but bought out the Palmer-Brown partnership in 1866 to become the sole owner. He also bought Allotment D, Section 8, from Palmer. The Stewarts operated the mill until they closed it in 1892.

As well as the mill, the family continued to farm, eventually owning all the land between the (now) Surf Coast Highway and Horseshoe bend Rd. by purchasing Allotment A. This, and the mill land opposite, remained in the family until 1981.
John Snr. Died in 1894; his wife, Lillian, predeceased him in 1889. Both are buried in the Mt Duneed cemetery.
Of their children, Isabella never married, lived at Dooliebeal all her life, died in 1926 and is buried in the Mt Duneed cemetery. Her younger sister, Jane, also never married, lived at home, died in 1881 and buried in the Mt Duneed cemetery. The youngest daughter, Lillian, married and left the district.

Alexander, the second surviving son, was a teacher. He was the first teacher at the Mt Duneed Anglican church school, later to become the Mt Duneed State primary school. He ultimately became Chief Inspector of schools in Victoria. James, the youngest son is dealt with elsewhere in this blog.

John Jnr., the first born in Australia, married Mary Webb, the eldest daughter of Alexander Webb, the colonial artist. They lived and farmed at Dooliebeal as well as running the flour mill. John died in 1922; Mary in 1935 and both are buried in the Mount Duneed cemetery. They had seven children, only one of whom (Henry, known as Harry) stayed at Mount Duneed.

Land between Torquay and Horseshoe Bend Roads owned by John Armstrong and John Stewart. River Station was sometimes called Bush Station. The Connewarre Flour Mill was opposite allotment B.

Dooliebeal

Harry (b. 1887) married Myrtle Allen. They farmed Dooliebeal until they sold it in 1981 to move to Derrinallum, thus ending 125 years of Stewart association with Mt Duneed. Their older son, Jack, had moved away whilst their second son, Don, stayed with his parents through the move to Derrinallum. Both Harry (d. 1983) and Myrtle (d. 1995) are buried in the Mount Duneed cemetery.

The Origins of the Mount Duneed Cemetery

23/8/2019

article and documents contributed by John Stewart

The origins of the cemetery at Mount Duneed lie in a petition from local residents. The petition, dated 7th October 1861, was signed by Joseph Williams and about 25 other "residents in East Duneed and in portions of the parish of Puebla and Connewarre". They sought to have portion of the Mount Duneed Reserve set aside for a cemetery because "The nearest existing cemetery is at Germantown, distant upwards of three miles; its area is small and sufficient only for the probable requirements of the population of its neighbourhood."

The relevant items of correspondence to the Board of Land and Works, to whom the petition was addressed, are held in the files of the Department of Health at the Public Record Office, Victoria[1]. Although there is no outward correspondence, the response of the Board can be inferred from file notes made on the original letters.

The Board response to the petition, dated 21st December 1861, was to point out that the cemetery at Germantown was within three miles of the Mount Duneed Reserve and so the request was denied.

On May 19th 1862 Joseph Williams wrote back, saying "We have since ascertained that the Germantown cemetery is private property, purchased and used exclusively for the German population, and that no reserve has been made by Government in this portion of the country."

After considerable delay, in early 1863 the Board decided to establish a public cemetery at Germantown and proposed that it consist of three acres in the North-East corner of the Connewarre Reserve at Germantown. (This is the land which the Grovedale Fire Brigade now occupies). The land was formally set aside by an announcement in the Victorian Government Gazette of 20th February 1863.

The next letter on the file is from the South Barwon Shire Council, dated 31st March 1863. The Council didn't want another cemetery at Germantown (which they would have to maintain) and asked that the proposal be cancelled. Joseph Williams also wrote (on 14th May) saying that the Germantown proposal wasn't what was desired and repeated the plea for Mount Duneed Reserve. Presumably not getting a reply, he repeated the plea on July 13th.

It seems that the local residents were frustrated at the delay, or concerned that they were to be denied. Another petition, this time with around 130 signatures, was sent to the Board on 18th September, reiterating their desire for a cemetery at Mount Duneed. The Board relented and, on the 28th September, decided to withdraw the proposed Germantown site and set aside land on the Mount Duneed recreation reserve, the site of the present cemetery. This decision was Gazetted on 9th October, 1863.

The next letter, written on 31st December 1863, was from William Landale, "one of the Trustees." It appears that Trustees were "appointed by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, at a public meeting". Landale wanted to know if their appointment "is confirmed or not". But the real reason for Landale's letter became apparent in his second paragraph:
"The reason we are anxious about this matter is because there are two bodies already interred in the open grounds granted for a cemetery and four in the Wesleyan Chapel grounds near at hand. These last will be removed to the new grounds as soon as the arrangements are completed, and further, if there should be much more delay, great inconvenience and confusion may be the consequence on account of the ground not being laid out."

Following prior advertisement in the Geelong Advertiser an official public meeting was held at the Yarborough Inn on 26th January 1864 for the purpose of appointing Trustees. The cemetery was surveyed in July, 1864.

The position of the proposed cemetery in the north east corner of the recreation reserve (corner of Reserve Road and Hoses Lane) at Germantown

The position of the Wesleyan Church in Russels Road and the cemetery in Cemetery (now Williams) Road

First burial
We will probably never know who were the first two people buried in the cemetery grounds before the end of December, 1863. Early church burial registers have not survived. An attempt was made by the Geelong Cemeteries Trust in the 1990s to identify early burials from headstone inscriptions, and from hospital, undertaker and newspaper records. However not all burials were identified or correctly located.

The Geelong Cemeteries Trust has for some time (to August 2019) stated that the first burial at Mount Duneed was on 23rd October, 1864[2]. The person concerned can be identified in their database as Henry Brien. It turns out that Henry Brien actually died a year earlier[3],[4]. As this is soon after the cemetery ground was Gazetted, it could be inferred that he was one of the first two burials. His death certificate states that his burial was on the 26th October, 1863, in “cemetery Duneed” which could mean either the existing Duneed cemetery at Mount Moriac or the new cemetery ground at Mount Duneed. However, as there is evidence that the family were Wesleyans[5], and as Henry is said to be buried in the Methodist (Wesleyan) Section, he may have initially been interred in the Chapel grounds.
The only other local 1863 death found to date is for Hannah Williams, on 19th December. As Hannah’s headstone is towards the centre of the Methodist section, it is possible that she, also, was first interred in the Wesleyan Chapel grounds. On the other hand, the instigator of the first petition was her husband, Joseph, which seems to increase the likelihood of her being interred in the new cemetery ground.

[1] PROV, VPRS 14836/P0001 unit 97, item H.CEM.350 MOUNT DUNEED Public Cemetery, General Correspondence Files, Department of Health.

[2] Geelong Cemeteries Trust (http://www.gct.net.au/our-cemeteries/Mount-Duneed-Cemetery/). Accessed 5th Dec. 2017.

[3] PROV, VPRS 28/ P2 Probate and Administration Files. Henry BRIEN: Date of death: 23 Oct 1863; Occupation: Farmer; Residence: Duneed

[4] Justice Department, State Government of Victoria, "Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria," database(https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj). D. cert. [Extract] Henry Brien, 1863. Accessed 5th Dec. 2017.

[5] Geelong and District Churches database CD, 2012. Ed. Susie Zada, Geelong and District Historical Association. BRIEN, William, Freshwater Creek, baptised 1865, Wesleyan Circuit.

James Stewart

16/8/2019

article contributed by John Stewart

James Stewart was born in Parramatta in 1845, the youngest son of John and Lillie Stewart. He came to Geelong with his family in 1852; thence to Mt Duneed in 1856, where his father farmed and later owned the Connewarre flour mill. James assisted his father and one brother on the farm and with the flour mill.

James became a member of the Connewarre Road Board. The earliest reference confirming this was found in the Geelong Advertiser of 10 September, 1868. Since, from other information, member elections seem to have taken place each August, it is likely that he was elected in August, 1868. He would have been aged 23, rather young to be on the Board.

The earliest reference to James being Chairman of the Board is in the Geelong Advertiser of 31st July, 1874. In July 1873, Andrew White was known to be chairman. As the Chairman was elected at the AGM and the 1873 AGM was on 19th November, it is assumed that this was when he became chairman. He was then 28.

In 1874 the government legislated to amalgamate the Borough of South Barwon with the Connewarre Road Board. The first meeting of the newly constituted Shire of South Barwon took place on Wednesday, 20th January, 1875, and James was recorded as Chairman of the Connewarre Road Board. Thus, he must have been re-elected as Chairman at the Road Board AGM in November, 1874. So that is how he became to be an inaugural councillor of the Shire of South Barwon. He would not have been eligible for re-election in 1875 as, by that time, he was resident at Hillside which is in the Parish of Duneed and thus outside the South Barwon boundary.

Land leased by James Stewart from James Henty on the corner of Whites and Williams Roads

At some stage James qualified as a surveyor and in the off season for the flour mill travelled around Victoria surveying. It is assumed that this is how he met and married, in 1875, Jessie Wilson at Boradomamin, her father’s large pastoral lease between Benalla and Alexandra. It is possible the families knew each other earlier through the Scotch Free Church in Geelong.

After their marriage they lived back at Mt Duneed at Hillside, on the south west corner of what is now Whites and Williams roads. Hillside was leased by the Stewart family from James Henty. After the expiry of the Hillside lease James and his then young family went to NSW where he managed, and later became partner, in a property owned by his father-in-law. He died in 1899 and is buried in the West Wyalong cemetery.

George Helyar

9/8/2019

George, son of Elias and Martha (née Doling) Helyar was born on 28 November 1828 at Yeovil, Somerset, England. He came to Australia in 1840 on the Ferguson with his parents and siblings.

He was initially employed as a butcher, a trade he pursued later in his life. He spent time during the gold rush buying gold from miners and carting it to Melbourne by horse and dray.

He married Charlotte Ann Hockey on 19 July 1855 in Geelong. He took up a selection at Jan Juc (Bellbrae) on 1 October 1857 which he kept until 1875. Although some of the children's births were registered at Mount Duneed, they were probably born at Jan Juc (Bellbrae). Their children were as follows:
Emily — born in 1857 at Geelong, died the same year aged 8 months
William — born on 5 September 1858 at Jan Juc (Bellbrae), married Emily Tylee on 12 September 1888 at Geelong, died on 4 December 1946 aged 88 at Nannup in Western Australia
Henry Richard — born in 1859, married Isabella Caroline (Carrie) Cracknell on 18 October 1893, died on 14 March 1947 at West Wyalong New South Wales
Charlotte Ellen (Nell) — born on 27 June 1862 at Jan Juc, died in September 1953 aged 91 at Belgrave
Charles Edward — born on 12 February 1864 at Ashby, married Florence Perkins in 1897, died on 27 March 1924 aged 60 years at Rainbow
Alfred Elias — born 20 April 1865 at Geelong, married Agnes Emily Wickens in 1913, died in 1954 at Glenhuntly
Eliza Ann — born on 14 March 1867 at Mount Duneed, died on 20 December 1886 aged 19 at Minyip
Sarah Martha — born on 4 January 1869 at Mount Duneed, died on 28 August 1951 aged 82 at Camberwell East
Evelyn Lily — born on 29 August 1870 at Duneed, died in September 1953 aged 83 at Belgrave
Amelia — born on 9 October 1872 at Mount Duneed, died on 28 September 1972 aged 99 years and 11 months at Parkville, cremated at Fawkner Crematorium
Laura Emily — born on 30 Marth 1874, married Francis Austin John Barnes on 2 October 1901, died in 1973 aged 99 years at Rainbow
Frederick Ernest — born on 15 March 1878 at Murtoa, married Catherine Elizabeth (Daisy) Cornell on 1 September 1908 at St Kilda, died in August 1955 aged 77 years
Herbert Allan — born on 20 December 1879 at Murtoa, died on 22 January 1956 aged 76 years at Sydney
John Albert Royal — born on 4 December 1881 at Murtoa, married Gertrude Evelyn Murphy on 30 June 1916 at the presbytery at St Arnaud, married Winifred Harris in 1946, died in 1967 aged 85 years at Mitcham

George and his brother-in-law, Alexander Edward Butler, played crick for Jan Juc. They were both trustees of the Jan Juc Cemetery. George died on 30 July 1915 at the Benevolent Asylum at Cheltenham aged 88 years. He was buried at the Brighton Cemetery. Charlotte died on 28 September 1925 at Murrumbeena aged 84 years.

from The Age 27 October 1864

from Geelong Advertiser 20 January 1875

from Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette

George owned 125½ acres at Bellbrae to the east of his sister, Eliza Butler

John Frederick William Rechenberg

2/8/2019

John, son of Friedrich Wilhelm and Johanna Eleonore (née Hermann) Rechenberg, was born on 26 September 1884 at Geelong.

He married Laura Olive Chapman in 1911. They had the following children:
John Stanley Chapman — born in 1912
Alan Keith — born in 1913
Dulcie Jean — born on 29 November 1914, married Jack Eric Hobbs in 1937, died on 31 July 2012, buried in the lawn section of the Geelong Western Cemetery
Theo Claude — born in 1919 at Geelong, married Jean Corkill McAlpine

John was a thirty one year old labourer when he enlisted for active service. He was wounded in March 1917 and returned to Australia a year later. After the war he leased land in Marshall under the Soldier Settlement Scheme adjacent to Sparrovale.

In March 1923 John received a red polled bull from the private herd of Senator Guthrie who had made six bulls available to returned soldiers settlers to encourage the breeding of good stock.

John was a South Barwon councillor, serving from 1927 until 1933 and from 1936 until 1949. His father, who settled in Grovedale in 1857, was one of the original blacksmiths in the district.

Cr Rechenberg conducted a meeting on Friday 31 May 1946 at St Paul's Sunday School Hall in Grovedale to discuss the possibility of erecting a United Services Memorial Hall at Grovedale. After many discussions it was decided at a meeting held in February 1948, to purchase the North Shore Recreation Hall, and have it erected on land at the Grovedale Recreation Reserve. It was built as a tribute to the men and women of the district who had served their country. They had raised more than £2000 towards the building of the hall. The State Government had granted £1000.

In June 1940 a branch of the Red Cross Society and the Australian Comforts Fund was established in Grovedale. This was the result of a public meeting held at the state school and attended by residents from Grovedale, Marshall and Mount Duneed districts. The meeting was chaired by Cr Rechenberg. The object of the branch was to produce the maximum of war work in the districts.

In March 1923 John received a red polled bull from the private herd of Senator Guthrie who had made six bulls available to returned soldier settlers to encourage the breeding of good stock.

John died on 13 December 1974 at Belmont aged 90 years and was buried in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. Laura who had died on 28 July 1954 aged 77 was buried with him.

After returning from WW1, John leased land under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. This land was described as having only a small amount of really good land. The soil varied from a rich black marly loam in the centre of the property, down to a tight cold clay towards the southern end. The northern portion is a red and grey sandy loam. The great variety of soil enabled a fairly wide range of crops to be cultivated. Water is obtained from the Geelong Water Supply Department. The buildings and fencing are just fair to medium. Being old renewal will be necessary before many years. In 1938 land along the Barwon Heads Road was acquired by the Country Roads Board for the purpose of widening the road.

John James Cameron

26/7/2019

John James, son of Scottish parents John and Elizabeth Munro (née Gunn) Cameron, was born on 13 April 1878. His father came from Scotland and arrived in Australia in 1853 at the age of 20. His parents married in Geelong on 16 August 1867. They were early settlers in Connewarre. In 1912 John married Helen Sarah Jane Fuller. He took an active part in district activities.

His death occurred suddenly on the morning of 6 August 1946 at the age of 67. He had risen early to do his usual farm work. He returned to the house for refreshments about 10 o'clock leaving after a short time to continue his work. He died soon after.

John and Helen had four sons and four daughters — Jack, Keith, Donald, Alexander, Betty (married Clifford Stacey), Daphne, Mary and Susie (married John Zula).

His property "Green Hills" in Barwon Heads Road was auctioned on 11 September 1947 and sold to Arthur Ernest Graham. It was described as 270 acres and 17 perches, extensively subdivided and watered by a well with a windmill, elevated tank and concrete troughing. A comfortable weatherboard house of 6 rooms, scullery and bathroom, washhouse, garage, dairy, cowshed and feed room, with separator and wash-up room, and a machinery shed attached. It had a 3 stall stable and loose box, chaff house, engine-room, waggonette shed and storeroom, fowl accommodation and yard.

The country comprises good agricultural grazing and fattening land, and runs from a dark loam to heavier grey and black soil, with some of the land suitable for onion growing.

He was buried on 8 Aug 1946 in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery beside Helen who died on 5 March 1950 at the age of 63.

from The Argus 7 August 1946

from The Argus 6 September 1947

Alexander Edward Butler

19/7/2019

Alexander Edward, eldest child of Alexander Bishop and Charlotte Selina (née Mortimer) Butler was born on 12 July 1828 in London. He arrived in Tasmania with his family in 1837. He arrived in Victoria in the early 1850s. He married Eliza, daughter of Elias Helyar on 8 April in1852 in Melbourne. They had the following children:
Selina Mortimer — born on 6 January 1854, died aged 8 months
Eliza Selina — born in 1854
Charles Edward — born in 1857, died the same year at Boroondara
Annie Mortimer — born on 27 June 1862 at Glenlee farm at Jan Juc (Bellbrae)
Edward William Alfred — born on 14 February 1864 at Glenlee farm, married Jessie Hilda Burke in 1886 in Melbourne, married Lilian Blanche McLean on 29 December 1897 at 65 Fitzroy Street, Surrey Hills, married Mary Elizabeth Gavin on 27 September 1911 at St Patrick's Catholic Church at Church Hill in Sydney, died on 8 August in 1928 of Myocarditis at St Vincent's Hospital aged 64 years
Charles Spilsbury — born on 18 August 1865 at Glenlee farm, died in 1876
Hubert Philip — born on 17 December 1866 at Glenlee farm
Frederick Alexander — born on 9 February 1870 at Belgrove Cottage in Hull street in Richmond
Charlotte — born on 20 April 1873 at Belgrove Cottage, died the same year
Percy Cedric — born on 27 September 1874 at Belgrove Cottage

By 1858 he had taken up a selection at Jan Juc (now Bellbrae). His brother-in-law, George Helyer, had acquired 125½ acres to the east the previous year. George married Charlotte Ann Hockey. Both Alex and George played cricket for Jan Juc. Both were appointed trustees of the Jan Juc Cemetery in 1864, together with Joseph Gundry, Andrew Edwards and John Woods. In 1866 Alex stood as a contestant against David Hill Dow to became a Barrabool Shire councillor. He served from 1866 until 1867. He had contested the election the previous year against Dr Richard Heath of Mount Duneed, William Bell of Jan Juc and John McKenzie of Freshwater Creek but was unsuccessful.

In 1868 Alexander started working for the City of Richmond. In 1892 he resigned as treasurer of the city.

He moved to Sydney in 1893 and established the firm of Butler & Sons which he carried on until his death.

Alex died aged 71 of liver cancer on 18 December 1899 at his home, 9 Glenmore Road, Paddington, He was buried at Waverley cemetery the following day. He was survived by his widow, four sons and two daughters.

from Geelong Advertiser 16 August 1861

from Geelong Advertiser 11 August 1866

Obituary from The Sydney Mail and New South Advertiser 25 November 1899

Alexander Butler purchased Glenlee Farm, which consisted of 323 acres south of the township of Bellbrae on 16 March 1858. His brother-in-law had purchased allotment 12 in 1857.

Benjamin Blyth

12/7/2019

Benjamin, son of Ewing and Agnes (née Tait) Blyth was born on 1 April 1867. He married Ann Ford, daughter of John Ford and Hester née Tansley, on 11 September 1895 at Mount Duneed. Ann was born on 31 October 1869. They had the following children born at Mount Duneed:
Ewing John — born on 15 November 1896, married Jessie Milne, died in 1975 at Mount Duneed aged 52 on 24 November 1918, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Vera — born in 1898, died on 20 October 1937 at the age of 39 at Royal Park, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Hester Agnes — born on 29 November 1899, died on 8 November 1969 aged 70 at Mount Duneed, ashes in Niche Wall at Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Olive Pretoria — born on 1 October 1901, died in 1956 at Geelong, buried 17 March in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Frances Ann — born on 11 May 1903, died on 14 March 1991, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed
Benjamin Ford — born on 8 July 1904, died on 12 October 1963 aged 64 at Belmont, buried in the lawn section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with his wife Annie
Florence May — born on 2 October 1905, married Percy James Kempton in 1935, died on 7 March 1986 aged 80, buried in the lawn section of the Highton Cemetery
Janet Annie Hope — born on 28 October 1908, died on 27 April 1977 aged 68 at Geelong, buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery

Ann died on 29 October 1908, the day after her last child was born, at the age of 38. Benjamin died intestate of 24 November 1918 at the age of 52. They are both buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.

from Geelong Advertiser 2 November 1908

At the time of her death on 29 October 1908 Ann Blyth owned 140 acres 3 roods 22 perches being allotment F and part of allotment E section XVI in McCanns Road. Benjamin Blyth owned the land bounded by Boundary, Burvilles, Horseshoe Bend and Barwarre Roads at the time of his death on 24 November 1918.

The grave of Benjamin and Ann Blyth in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery

This house at 95 McCanns Road, Mount Duneed (allotment F section 16) was built on the block owned by Ann Blyth and was probably built in the 1890s.

Charles Hoffman Milner

5/7/2019

Charles Hoffman, son of John and Elizabeth (née Murray) Milner was born at Matterdale in Yorkshire in 1838. He named his farm at Freshwater Creek after his native village.

He was a Barrabool Shire councillor, serving for 25 years from 1874. During this time he missed only three meetings.

He married Harriet Wilkin In 1858. They had the following children:
Emily Alice — born 1859 at Duneed
Charles Henry — born about 1861 at Geelong, died 12 August 1940 aged 79, buried at Brighton General Cemetery
Ada Harriet — born in 1864 at Duneed, married Thomas William Whitehead in 1896, died in 1937 at Corryong
Albert — born 1866 at Geelong, died 1935 aged 70 at Surrey Hills
Zillah Gertrude — born 1868 at Freshwater Creek, died 8 August 1953 aged 84 at Sandringham, buried at the Brighton General Cemetery
Henrietta — born 1871 at Anglesea, married Percy Henry Blagdon on 28 April 1897 at St Paul's Church in Geelong, died 1958 aged 86 at Black Rock

Charles died on 10 February 1914 aged 76 at Banyule, Tennyson Street in Brighton Beach. He was buried with Harriet who passed away on 27 November 1908, Zillah Gertrude who died on 8 August 1953 and Charles Henry. He left real estate valued at £5270, and personal estate £992, to his children.

Milner Avenue in Anglesea is named after him.

from Geelong Advertiser 13 August 1885

Charles Hoffman Milner farmed land at Freshwater Creek. He owned 210 acres 2 roods in section 35 and 421 acres 1 rood 34 perches in section 36. The blocks marked may be the blocks he owned

Richard Daffy

28/6/2019

Richard, son of Marcus and Mary (née Darcy) Daffy was born in 1823 at Mulagh, County Clare in Ireland. In 1857 he married Ann Pardy. Ann was born in 1838 in Kings County in Ireland. Their children were:
Matthew — born and died in 1857
Mark — born in November 1858, died 2 November 1876 aged 18 years
Bridget — born in April 1860 at Duneed

Richard farmed land on the corner of Mount Duneed and Willowite Roads and another block in Dickins Road which was diagonally opposite Taylors Gully. He died intestate on 13 August 1860 and left an estate valued at £402/11/3.

Ann remarried Nicholas Ervin on 27 February 1862 and had four more children.

Waurn Ponds Avenue of Honour

21/6/2019