Next meeting
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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.​

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."
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.

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.
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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.

article contributed by John Stewart
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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.​

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.

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.
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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.

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.
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​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, died in 1928
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 152 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.
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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.​

​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.

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.
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​Nicholas, son of John and Johanna (née Darcy) Ervin, was born in 1837 at Kilmoylar, Tipperary in Ireland. He married Ann Daffy (née Pardy) on 27 February 1862 at Duneed (#591). They had the following children:
John James — born about 1863
Nicholas — born 1865, died ​25 June 1895 at the Geelong Hospital of Phthisis aged 30, buried at Mount Moriac Cemetery
Thomas Joseph — born in 1868, married Elizabeth Margaret (Bessie) Buckley in 1904, died on 20 November 1947 at Mount Moriac, buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery with Elizabeth who died in 1972 at Newtown (Geelong) aged 90
Mary Ann — born on 12 January 1866 at Pyramid Hill, married John Simpson Tilley in 1892, died on 24 November 1891, buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery
Daniel Edward — born in 1867, married Catherine Eliza Downes in 1895, died on 1 October 1918 at Mount Moriac aged 50, buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery. The cortege comprised the hearse, two landau carriages, 98 conveyances, 8 motor cars and 28 horsemen. The procession was a mile long.
Margaret Ellen — born in 1871, died in 1891 at Mount Moriac, buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery

Nicholas died on 29 March 1883 aged 46 and was buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery.

Thomas Ervin was a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1914 for 25 yeaars. Thomas and his brother Daniel bought the Mount Moriac Hotel and hall diagonally opposite.

Nicholas' sons, Daniel and Thomas, became proprietors of the Mount Moriac Hotel. They carried on farming at first. They also acquired the land diagonally across the junction of Colac and Hendy Main Roads, on which they built a hall, after enlarging and renovating the hotel. This hall was used for public purposes until it burned down in 1962, but remained part of the hotel property for many years. After many accidents caused by runaway vehicles it was decided  to build a new hall at the Recreation Reserve. 

After Daniel's death in 1918, his wife and son, Winter, who died 1964, conducted the hotel for a long period. 

​John Walker Roberts married Elizabeth Gardener Mead. They had the following children:
 Elizabeth Fanny  — born in 1853 in Geelong, died the same year
Walter Henry (Harry) — born in 1853 at Ashby, died on 15 June 1927 at 47 Cromwell Street in Croydon in NSW
Frank Edward  — born in 1855 at Ashby, died the same year aged 2 months
Amos Mead — born in 1856
Frederick William Albert — born in 1859 at Geelong, died on 26 August 1917
Isaac Oscar Garibaldi — born in 1861 in Geelong
Arthur Albert  — born in 1863 at Geelong, died in 1921
Henry — born in 1866 at Geelong, died the same year aged 1 month

In 1864 John was a member of the Anglican School Committee. He was a grocer, a Wesleyan and a trustee of the Geelong Vineyard Company.
He was a South Barwon councillor serving from 1862 until 1866.

On 3 April 1870 the family left for London on the Orwell. They later settled in Sydney. 

John died on 18 October 1911 at his residence, "Seven Trees", in Denison Road, Lewisham and was buried the following day in the Methodist Cemetery at Rookwood.

 ​​Benjamin Axford, son of Thomas and Jane (née Axford) Allin was born on 22 January 1827. He married Elizabeth Ann née Walter on 25 March 1850 at Bradworthy in Devon. He left Devon with his wife arriving in the colony on 28 October 1850 
aboard the Gypsy Queen. Elizabeth died of Typhus on 28 May 1853 at "Hill Park" in the Barrabool Hills.

On 9 July 1857 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (née Cottle) Jewell. They had the following children:​
Thomas — born on 11 April 1858 at Mount Moriac, married Elizabeth Ann Turnbull on 23 May 1887 at the home of her parents, died on 10 October 1946 at Geelong
William Richard — born on 28 April 1860 at Mount Moriac, married Al​inda Jane Walter on 3 December 1890 at the bride's home, died in October 1941 aged 81 years at Drysdale
Mary Jane — born on 18 July 1862 at Barrabool, died in 1942 aged 79 years at Geelong
Benjamin Axford — born on 12 May 1865 at Ceres, married Regina Tryphena Grills on 15 September 1909 aged 84 years at 7 High Street, Ballarat
John Henry — born in 1867 at Mount Moriac, died in January 1938 aged 71 years at Mount Moriac
Louisa — born in 1870 at Mount Moriac, died in September 1940 aged 70 years at Geelong
Elizabeth Emma — born in 1871 at Melbourne, died in 1872 at Barrabool
Albert Edward — born in 1874 at Ceres, died in September 1956 at Geelong
Sophia Ann — born in 1876 at Ceres, married Robert John Rogers in 1902, died on 20 April 1964 aged 88 years at Geelong
Alfred Charles — born in 1878 at Ceres, died in December 1946 aged 68 years at Geelong

On 21 October 1885 when the "Strathlachlan" estate, in the Barrabool Hills, was for sale Benjamin Allin, who had been a tenant for many years bought a total of 368 acres.

​He was named a justice of the peace in February 1891.

He was a farmer at Mount Moriac. His property "Waterland Farm" was in Mill (now Hendy Main) Road. He was a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1873 to 1881 and from 1885 to 1897 and was president in 1878, 1890 and 1891.

This map has portion 2, 16 and 17 marked. When Benjamin Allin died he owned land in parts of these blocks:
​160 acres — part of portion 17 with residence and various outbuildings
111 acres 34 perches — part of portions 2 and 16 fenced only
​255 acres 1 rood and 14 perches — part of portions 2 and 16 with weatherboard house and various outbuildings
​193 acres 1 rood and 10 perches — part of portion 17 fenced only

John, son of William and Elizabeth (née Simpson) Herd was born on 1 November 1798 in Belfast, Ireland. He married Janet née Park about 1820. They had the following children all born at Belfast, Northern Ireland:
William — born about 1820, died on 31 March 1908
Mary — born about 1821, married Francis Bennett, died 24 May 1885 at Kewell aged 63
Eliza — born about 1823, died 12 April 1901 at Geelong West
Jane — born about 1826, died 4 February 1895 at Ararat
John — born about 1827, died before the family emigrated
Agnes — born about 1828, died 8 April 1899 at Stawell
Sarah — born about 1830, married John McGill on 9 January 1849 at Christ Church Geelong, died February 1877 at Belmont Victoria

​John and Janet came to Australia with their family as assisted immigrants on the Manderin​ in 1838 arriving in Sydney. They travelled to Port Phillip on the Hope soon after.

John was a pioneer of the district in 1848 when he took up a pastoral run of 21,000 acres at Airey's Inlet and established the Loutitt Bay Cattle Station. 

​Early in 1850 he established a market garden in Thornhill Road, Highton.

​He became a councillor of the South Barwon Shire, serving from 1859 until 1863. He was appointed as a magistrate ex officio. He was one of the first trustees for the 10½ acre Barrabool Hills (Highton) Cemetery when it was established in 1855. He was also a trustee for Queens Park. In 1864 he became a member of the Anglican School Committee. His son-in-law Francis Bennett was also on the committee. 

​John died on 1 February 1885 at Kewell North and was buried in un unmarked grave at Warracknabeal Cemetery. Janet died on 4 September 1876 at Highton.

Andrew Keith was the son of Andrew Keith and Euphemia née McCallum, both aged 34, who sailed from Scotland in 1853 in the Sir William Molesworth​. According to shipping records (which do not agree with cemetery records) they brought with them three children:
   Andrew — aged 7
​   Margaret — aged 4
   Daniel — aged 1

The family farmed land at Freshwater Creek for many years before Andrew senior handed over the farm work to his eldest son, Andrew, and retired to live in Belmont, Geelong.

​On 23 September 1873 Andrew​ married Elizabeth Paterson, daughter of William and Elizabeth Paterson. Their children were:
​Andrew James (James) — born on 22 September 1874 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1951 aged 76 years
William Bruce — born in 1874 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1876
Charles — born in 1877 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1940 at Berwick aged 64
Robert Livingstone — born in 1878 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1953 at Geelong West aged 75
Malcolm — born in 1879 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1943 at Wangaratta
​Elizabeth Euphemia — born in 1881 at Freshwater Creek
John Alexander (Alexander) — born in 1883 at Freshwater Creek
Lily
Margaret Agnes (Maggie) — born in 1884 at Freshwater Creek, died in 1922 aged 37 years 
​Jessie Campbell Abercromby— born in 1891 at Geelong, died in April 1925 aged 32 years
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Andrew died on 24 January 1923 in Belmont aged 80 and was buried in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. Elizabeth who died on 14 March 1902 at the age of 43 is buried with him. They share a plot with Andrew's parents and two children, William who died as an infant and Maggie who died in June 1922 aged 37. Daughter Jessie who died in April 1925 is buried in a separate location in the Methodist section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. 

​Andrew's sister Margaret Campbell Keith married Thomas Kirkland Dow, a well known agricultural journalist and son of David Hill Dow of Forest Station.
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Pictured at right is Private Charles Keith (5038) before taken before serving in the 21st Battalion. He was a farmer from Longwarry prior to enlistment. He returned to Australia on 9 April 1919.

​Thomas Vaughan was born about 1829. He married Catherine (also known as Kate) Perdue in 1855. She was born about 1834. They had the following children:
Thomas Henry — born 1856 at Ballarat
​Lucy Ann ​— born 1858 at Ballarat, married James Williamson Nicol on 23 August 1883, died in 1935 at Malvern East aged 76 years
Alfred Perdue — born 1860 at Ballarat, married Rebecca Alison (Alice) Shierlaw on 9 May 1889, died 1923 at Box Hill aged 62
Edith Alberta — born 1862, died 1932 at Armadale Victoria
Diana Gertrude — born 1864, died 1907 at St Kilda
Ida May — born 1865, died 1953 at Elwood aged 88 years
Joseph Charles — born 1866 at Geelong, died 1939 at Cheltenham

When Thomas agreed to seek election as a South Barwon councillor to fill the vacancy caused by the recent retirement of Sharp Brearley, he was described in the Geelong Advertiser as "a man of wealth and standing in the borough, has plenty of leisure, and is in every respect competent to fill the office of councillor in a manner calculated to advance the interests of the borough". He served from 1869 until 1875.

Thomas died on 14 May 1897 at his residence, Sunnyside at Marshalltown, at the age of 68. He had been a resident of Marshalltown for 30 years and a colonist of 47 years. He was buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with Catherine who died on 27 February 1877 at the age of 43. Their daughter, Diana Gertrude, who died at St Kilda in December 1907 at the age of 44 was interred with them.


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​​William Higgins arrived on the Larpent on 28 June 1849 with his parents and brothers and sisters, at the age of 15.

​His father the Rev William Higgins was a Congregational Minister. Rev Higgins, formerly of Trinity Chapel in London was the chaplain on the Larpent. He participated at 3 christenings and 1 marriage during the trip. There were 5 births and 10 deaths, mainly children, during the trip. 200 of the passengers had been selected by Rev John Dunmore Lang and consigned to Dr Alexander Thompson, who 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.
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William jnr was a solicitor whose company was eventually known as W & W Higgins. He brought up his family of eleven children at Shoubra in Highton which at that time was surrounded by 38 acres opposite the Church of England in South Valley Road.  He became superintendent of the little Congregational Sunday School on the east side of Valley Road.

He was a South Barwon Shire councillor from 1871 until 1892. He was mayor of the Borough from 1871 until 1874. He was president of the Shire of South Barwon 1874-76, 1880-81, ​1883-85 and 1888-1889. As Mayor he laid the foundation stone at the Wesleyan church on 2 October 1873. A bottle was placed under the stone containing copies of the Geelong Advertiser, Wesleyan Chronicle and documents connected with church affairs.

​He was a director of the Kardinia Estate Co in the 1890s. It was not successful because of the depression. He was a member of the gentlemen's committee of the refuge for women at Kildare.

He died on 3 May 1892 at the age of 58 years from apoplexy and was buried in the Independent section of the Geelong Western Cemetery. He had recently returned from a tour to Europe. His wife, Sarah Ann (née Davey), died on 6 Oct 1911 at the age of 76 years and was buried with him.

Alfred John, son of James Beard and Sarah (née Luke) Talbot, was born in 1827 at Walthamstow, Essex, England. His father, a congregational minister of Brunswick Chapel, Mile End, London,  had written a book in 1844 named "The Miseries of Prostitution".

Alfred arrived in the colony on the Moselle in December 1952 with his brother George and his wife Louisa Harriet née Burrell, whom he had married on 31 July 1852 at Walthamstow. After arriving in Geelong he advertised in various newspapers in an attempt to find his elder brother, James, whom he thought was in Bendigo, Victoria. He advertised his services as an accountant, land, house and estate agent  mentioning that he was from London. He was working from his home in Chilwell. 

By 1861 he was advertising an extensive range of services, delivered from his office on the Corner of Moorabool and Ryrie Streets, Geelong. He was now living at Belmont.

He was an auditor of the Geelong Gas Company in 1859, secretary of the Geelong Land and Building Society and an auditor for the Shire of South Barwon. He became a South Barwon councillor in January 1861. On Saturday 15 June 1861 at 8 am a meeting of ratepayers of the South Barwon Municipality was held to elect a councillor to replace Councillor Talbot who was disqualified from his position because of non-attendance. The only candidate was TW Antill, who became Talbot's replacement. The annual elections were scheduled to take place two weeks later. Councillor Antill would retire and stand for re-election.

In March 1961 Alfred disposed of his business to Henry Simmonds, who had for some years been his clerk. He was examined at the Geelong Insolvent Court on Wednesday 3 July 1861. He stated that he was a commission agent, charging commission for money received. The money received was spent running his business. He did not believe he had spent the money wrongfully. In September 1861 he was charged with forgery and embezzlement​. 

​Alfred and Louisa had the following children:
Rosina Sarah Augusta — born 1853 in Geelong
Louisa Selina — born 4 February 1855 in Chilwell
Caroline Maude —born 1857 in Geelong, died 14 April 1860, buried at Highton Cemetery
Alfred James Charles —born 1859 in Geelong
Percy George — born 1861 in Ashby

After 1861 he and his family seem to have disappeared from Geelong. I cannot find a will, burial or death record.