Joshua and John Hobbs were early settlers in the Strathbogie region. They arrived in Australia in July 1852 with their parents, Edwin and Susan (née Horton) Hobbs, and siblings. They were the first of their extended family to arrive in Australia. Joshua was 9 and John was 5. Their father, Edwin, was a brother of John Lowe Hobbs, who arrived with his family the following year in August. The two men married sisters, Joshua marrying Fanny and John marrying Isabella, daughters of James and Eliza (née James) Smart. Another sister, Jane, married Harold, son of Harold and Hester (sometimes called Esther) Humphrey of Connewarre. They also went to Strathbogie where Jane died in 1928 aged 73. Harold died at Strathbogie in 1931 aged 78. They were buried together at Euroa Cemetery.

Records of the Germantown (Grovedale) Wesleyan Sunday school mention the brothers being presented with bibles and hymn books in 1878 to help them carry on their Sunday school work in the district they were going to. The Strathbogie area was being opened up for selection at the time they moved there and this would have assisted them to each set up a farm. John was first mentioned when he attended the Sabbath school meeting as a visitor in 1868. He became a teacher in 1871, secretary in 1872 and superintendent in 1873 to 1878. Edwin Hobbs was recorded as donating fruit and the wagon to take the children to picnics. Later generations of Hobbs also served the church and Sunday school.​

Joshua married Fanny Smart in 1876. They had the following children:
Susan Eliza — born 1878 at Mount Duneed, died on 12 July 1887 at Mr H Hinton's residence at Euroa aged 9 years of inflammation of the lungs
Arthur James — born 1880 at Strathbogie, died in 1947 at Euroa
Harriet Elizabeth — born 1882, married Albert Anker, died 18 September, 1915 at Binney Street East, Euroa aged 33
Ethel Jane — born 1883 at Strathbogie, died 1887 at Strathbogie aged 3 years
Eda Bell — born 1885 at Strathbogie
Fanny Robena — born 1888 at Strathbogie
Elsie May — born 1890 at Strathbogie
Beatrice Alice — born 1891 at Strathbogie
Phillip Henry Horton — born 1894 at Strathbogie, married Eliza Jane Mackrell, died 1975 at Euroa, buried at Euroa Cemetery​
Thomas Edwin — born 1896 at Strathbogie, died 1974 at Parkville aged 78

Joshua died on 1 August 1915 aged 72 at Strathbogie and was buried at Euroa Cemetery. Fanny died in 1939 at Strathbogie and was buried with him.

John married Isabella Smart in 1871. Their children were:
Edwin James — born 1872 at Mount Duneed, died 1888 at Euroa aged 16
Mary Jane — born 1873, died 1926 at East Melbourne aged 52
Isabella May — born 1878 at Mount Duneed, married Herbert John Thoms, died 1968 at McKinnon aged 90 years
Eliza Ann — born 1880 at Strathbogie
Sarah Elizabeth — born 1881 at Strathbogie
Lily Maud — born 1883 at Strathbogie
John Herbert — born 1886 at Mount Duneed, died 1973 at Euroa aged 87 years

John returned to Connewarre, probably about 1885 where he died aged 38 on 29 November 1886. He was buried in an unknown location at the Highton Cemetery. Isabella died at Brighton in 1934.

​William, son of James and Catherine (née Robertson) Anderson, was born at Ceres on 20 April 1852. He married Christina McKenzie in 1881. They had the following children:
Laurence Broderick Bruce — born in 1882 at Barrabool, died in 1957 aged 61 years at Barrabool
Alexander — born in 1882 at Lismore, died in 1954 aged 72 years at North Geelong
Donald James — born in 1884 at Ceres, died in 1944 aged 59 years at Portland
Gordon McKenzie — born in 1887 at Ceres, married Hetty Maud Mountjoy, died in 1958 aged 79 years  in Ashburton
Annie — born in 1891
William Douglas — born in 1893
Charles Leslie — born in 1897 at Mount Moriac, died on 22 April 1917 on the Western Front
Donald McKenzie — born in 1898 at Barrabool, died in 1971 aged 72 years at Barrabool
​
William was a Barrabool Shire councillor, serving from 1987 until 1928.
​
His son, William Douglas, was a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1928 until1973, serving five terms as president.

William died on 8 June 1928 at Barrabool Hills and was buried in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery. Christina died in May 1938 and was buried with him. 

John Cantwell, a well known Freshwater Creek farmer aged 56, did not get out of bed until noon on Sunday 31 December 1916. As he rose he knocked over a gun standing in the corner which was loaded. It exploded ripping open his chest and jugular vein. On hearing the gunshot his family rushed in and found him lying on the floor, bleeding profusely. He told his family it was an accident. He had never threatened to take his life. On the previous morning he had gone out with his gun to bring his horse in, anticipating shooting a hare. He had one cartridge and it jammed in the weapon, a double barrel breech loading gun. He brought the gun in and left it in that position.

​When Dr Moreton arrived at about 2:30 he also told him it was an accident. Dr Moreton dressed his wounds and recommended he go to Geelong Hospital by ambulance but by the time the vehicle arrived at 5:30 he had died.  

​He was buried in the Catholic section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with Catherine and John Powell.

He left an estate of £845/10/- to his wife Alice. He owned parts of allotments E, F and G in section 42 of the parish of Duneed. This land is south of Dickins Road and the creek and between Anglesea and Ghazeepore Roads. He also owned allotment 42C in the Parish of Paraparap.

George William, son of John and Elizabeth (née Radford) Goodman, was born at Leeds, Yorkshire, England on 29 June 1821. He was the nephew of Sir George Goodman, an English wool-stapler, a magistrate in the borough and county of Leeds, a former mayor of Leeds and a Liberal politician. 

He died on 6 Novmeber 1865, aged 44, after slitting his throat with a razor at his home. He was unmarried and lived alone. He had suffered from heart disease and used Laudanum to relieve his sufferings. He was buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery 

The administrator of his estate was Samuel Clapham, a cousin who lived at Portland. His estate was mainly left to his father with bequests for his two brothers, Benjamin (born 8 Oct 1822) and Alfred (born 4 August 1828), who were named in the will as executors. As his immediate family lived in England, an administrator was appointed to wind up his estate.

 
Joshua Bannister was a general and wholesale produce merchant and commission agent, trading as Joshua Bannister & Co. He took over the premises of John Warren in Gheringhap Street Geelong in 1882. By 1884 he was advertising that he could sell chaff cheaper than others in Geelong could sell hay. 

He was a South Barwon councillor, serving from 1886 until 1888. He lived at "Holmwood" Highton. In a meeting to address ratepayers before the election he pointed out the necessity for street lighting, especially in the vicinity of Belmont. He was in favour of making the streets and asphalting the footpaths in order to induce the residents of Geelong to live in the district. He said he was also in favour of tree planting. In 1886 after resigning from his council position at South Barwon Shire he nominated to stand as a candidate for the Villamanta ward of the Geelong council. He served from 9 November 1893 until his death.

He was  well known breeder of high class trotters. He was a vice president and captain of Corio Bay Rowing Club, vice president of the Geelong and District Coursing Club, president of the Geelong Recreation Club (previously the Yorick Club) and a member of the Mopokes (became part of the Yorick Club).

In March, 1891 his produce store on the south east corner of Gheringhap and Little Malop Streets was extensively damaged by fire. Although the value of the stock and buildings was estimated at £5,400, the insurance cover was only £2,600. 

A clearing sale of trotting sires, brood mares and young stock took place at Kirk's Bazaar on 12 July 1907. 

He died on 25 September 1907 at a Sydney Sanatorium. He was buried in the lawn section of the Geelong Western Cemetery. The funeral was attended by a large number, including the mayor and councillors of the town. He left an estate of £11,945 to his widow, Jessie Page, relatives and friends. Jessie died on 4 December 1938.
​
A sale of city properties was held in 1917. The produce business was taken over by Robert Lyall & Son.

Patrick, son of Thomas and Mary (née Gill) Corbett, was born about 1837. He married Annie Elizabeth Slattery in 1871. Annie was born in 1843 at Darebin Creek. They appeared to have no children.

Patrick ran the Gnarwarre Hotel on a corner of his farm 12 miles from town on the corner of Pollocksford and Barrabool Roads. Later a post office and store was added. He became a Barrabool Shire councillor serving from 1876 until 1895 when he retired due to ill health. He was shire president in 1881, 1886, 1887 and 1888. He became a justice of the peace, a position he resigned from in April 1898. Patrick's sheep farming partnership with his brother-in-law, John Slattery was dissolved on 1 May 1890.

​In April 1905 Patrick was charged with Sunday trading. The license of the hotel was transferred to John Keenan on 3 March 1908 when Patrick retired to Geelong in 1908. He ran it until he died, when his widow, Mary, took over the running of it. The hotel closed in 1922 and was demolished in 1968.

​Patrick died on 10 August 1916 aged 79 years at the home of his sister, Ellen Meehan, 40 Albert Street in East Melbourne. He was buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with Annie, who died in 1912 aged 69 years.

William Moreland was a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1871 until 1875. He farmed 150 acres called Sheepwash Farm at Pollocksford for eleven years. He married Mary Elizabeth Clancy. They had the following children:
William Campbell — born on 22 February 1866​ at Pollocksford, died in 1867 at Gnarwarre
Margaret Janet — born in 1867 at Mount Moriac, died on 23 October 1938 aged 71 at Healesville 
Mary Elizabeth  — born in 1870 at Ceres, died on 28 August 1947 at Healesville
Thomas Robert — born on 7 November 1871 at Sheepwash Farm at Gnarwarre
Ellen Theresa — born in 1874 at Ceres
Isabel — born on 9 August 1876 at Mary Park at Jerilderie NSW
​Amy Ada — born about 1884, died in 1937 aged 53 at Healesville
Clare — married Neil Wilson

William judged sheep at local shows. He held a slaughtering license. Prior to leaving the district for the Riverina a dinner was held at the Gnarwarre Hotel. The family moved to a property, "Mary Park", on Yanko Creek in the Jerilderie district where they stayed until after William's death in 1897. The property was still in the possession of the executors when a fire destroyed the woolshed and its contents in 1902. The family moved to Melbourne and later to Healesville.

John Hollins was born about 1826. He married Eliza Mann in 1863. Eliza was born at St Albans in Hertfordshire England. They had the following children:
William John — born in 1864 at Freshwater Creek, married Jean Stewart Hunter on 9 May 1900, died in 1929 aged 65 at Wonthaggi
George — born on 18 August at Duneed
Eliza Emma — born on 8 Dec 1866 at Freshwater Creek, died on 4 April 1952 at Wangaratta
Henry — born on 22 February 1870 at Freshwater Creek, married Lillian Teresa Mary Gardiner, died on 12 September 1954 at Dalyston
Helen Gertrude — born in 1872 at Freshwater Creek
Minnie Isabel — born in 1873 at Freshwater Creek
Annie Amelia — born in 1876 at Bellarine
Sarah Ethel — born in 1880 at Bellarine
Frederick James — born in 1881 at Bellarine

Eliza died on 12 October 1885 aged 40 years at Bellarine and was buried in the Methodist section of the Drysdale Cemetery

In 1890 John married Alice Mary, d​aughter of Edmund John Fox. Alice was the widow of Frederick Woolley. John and Alice had 5 children born at Mount Moriac:
Roy Digby  — born in 1891
Allan Fox — born in 1892
Gladys Eileen — born in 1894
Alice Mary — born in 1895
Norman Gromer — born in 1897, died on 4 April 1898 aged 7 months at Geelong, buried in an unknown location at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery 

​John was a Barrabool Shire councillor serving from 1873 until 1875. He died on 31 May 1899 aged 73 years at his residence in McKillop Street Geelong and was buried in an unknown location in the Methodist section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.
​

Our first meeting for the year is on Thursday 13 February 2020. The speaker will be Dirleen Bufton whose ancestors came from Europe and settled at Bellbrae and Freshwater Creek. She will tell of their journey to this district, the reasons why they left their homeland and their struggles in this new world. 

Dirleen has documented her family history in the book Hardworking and Honest: The Seifferts of Freshwater Creek, Victoria.

Details:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/16456957?selectedversion=NBD6409509
​   

John Syrett married Susanna Mcadoe (or McAdoo) in 1857. They had the following children:
J​ohn — born in 1858, died on 29 November 1937 aged 80, buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. Worked for Andrew White as a station hand.
Lucy — born in 1860 at Connewarre, died 1934 aged 74 at Carnegie
Maria — born 1862 at Connewarre, married Fyffe
Sarah — born in 1863 at Connewarre, died in 1931 aged 67 at Geelong, buried on 25 June 1931 in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Margaret — born about 1867 at Connewarre, married Thomas, died in 1944 aged 77 at Ballarat, buried on 12 June 1944 in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Susannah — born in 1870 in Connewarre, died in 1955 aged 85 at Geelong, buried on 13 September 1955 in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
Elizabeth — born in 1872 at Geelong, married Bray, died in 1923 at Geelong

The family lived on the north east corner of Torquay and Boundary Roads (Grovedale at the time). They were said to have bought the old Yarborough Inn which had been shifted to a block south of the Mount Duneed Cemetery, to use as a manse, in anticipation of a Presbyterian church being built. He then had it shifted to Grovedale.

John died on 5 July 1898 and left his estate to his wife. An application for probate was not applied for until after Susanna died on 19 October in 1918 as 
she told her son that she had the will and the title deeds of the property and she was entitled to live there until she died. She told him to take the papers to the solicitor after she died. He did this and found out that he should have done this sooner.

​The property was sold to Heinrich Reinhold Winter on 19 April 1923 for £750 with interest of £16/7/10 totalled £766/7/10. The seven children received £97/9/6 each.

​James, son of William and Margaret (née Guthrie), was born at Perth in Scotland on 25 December 1822. He emigrated on the Tasman arriving in the colony in October 1848. He married Catherine Robertson, who migrated on the same ship, in 1850. Catherine was born in 1821 at Perth in Scotland. They had the following children:
William — born 20 April 1852, married Christina McKenzie in 1881, died on 8 June 1928, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery
Alexander — born 12 July 1855 at Barrabool Hills, died 8 July 1881 at Ceres at the age of 25, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery
Charles — born about 1856, married Margaret Elder Nelson in 1891, died in 1934 in Geelong aged 78 years, buried 10 February 1934 in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery
Lawrence — born 1857 in Geelong, died 1934 aged 77 at Dandenong
Ann — born 1850, married John Nelson, died 1931
Mary — born 12 March 1853 at Barrabool Hills, married David Munro MacKay, died 18 July6 1892
Catherine died on 4 March 1868 at Barrabool and was buried in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery.

In 1869 James married Caroline, daug​hter of John and Mary Jane (née Sefton) Edney. They had the following children:
Catherine Alice — born 1870 at Ceres, died in 1893 at Perth Cottage, Ceres
Margaret Jane — ​born 1872 at Ceres, married George McMeekin
James Alexander — born 21 May 1873 at Ceres, married Annabella McKenzie, died 2 February 1942 at Geelong aged 68
Isabella — born 1875 at Ceres
David — born 1877 at Ceres, married Jessie Jane Gerrand, died 1964 at Swan Hill
Winfred John — born 1881 at Geelong, married Emma White, died 1959 at Armadale in Victoria aged 77
​
On 20 May 1897 James' land was auctioned with a total receipts of £9907. The land was offered in four allotments with a total offered for sale being 398 acres 4 roods (sic) 10 perches:
Lot 1: Part of allotment 14, parish of Barrabool, containing 142 acres 1 rood 6 perches, together with the stone cottage known as "Tasman Cottage," with farm buildings. Bought by Charles Anderson for £25.10s per acre
Lot 2: Part of portion 14, parish of Barrabool, containing 3 acres and 2 roods, being lots 18 to 24 (inclusive) of the sub-division known as the Merrawarp Estate. Bought by C Marendaz at £102 per acre
Lot 3: Part of portion 14, parish of Barrabool, containing 130 acres, together with stabling known as "Westcott Farm." Bought by James Anderson at £19 per acre
Lot 4: Part of section 11, parish of Barrabool, containing 123 acres 1 rood 4 perches. Bought by Charles Anderson at £28 per acre

John, son of Samuel and Betty (née Webb) Edney, ​was born of 7 March 1814 at East Dean in Hampshire in England and was christened on the 3 April at the local St Winifred's church. John emigrated to Australia in 1840 on the Andromeche, arriving at Point Henry on 27 June. As he was an assisted immigrant he was assigned to John Marsden for three months at a station near Colac for £18.

John later moved to Heidelberg on the Plenty River where he opened a butcher's shop. It was here that he met Mary Jane, daughter of David and Mary (née Stewart) Sefton. She was born on 27 June 1827 at Ballynahinch, County Down in Ireland. As her mother died when she was an infant, she was brought up by her grand parents. 

On 11 August 1841 Mary left Ireland with her father and his new wife, Rebecca, and his sons and daughters. They sailed on the Marquis of Bute, arriving at Port Phillip on 30 November. 

John and Mary married on 8 April 1844 at St James Old Cathedral in Melbourne, when it was on the corner of William and Little Collins Streets. They had the following children:
William Henry — born on 19 January 1845 at Plenty River, married Jane Heard on 1 June 1871 at Holy Trinity Church of England at Barrabool Hills, died on 25 September 1924 aged 79 years, buried in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery
Caroline — born in 1847 at Plenty River, married James Anderson on 13 November 1869, died on 16 August 1931 aged 83 years at Surrey Hills in Victoria, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Highton Cemetery
Emily Jane— born in 1848 at Ceres, married Charles Meakin in 1873, died on 12 September 1924 at her home, 22 Windsor Street in Middle Footscray, buried in the Church of England section of the Footscray Cemetery 
Emma — born on 10 January 1851 at Barrabool, married Alfred Edney on 1 January 1873 at Holy Trinity Church at Barrabool Hills, married John Samuel Camm on 4 October 1910 at the manse, 55 McIlwraith Street in Princes Hill, died on 27 January 1920 aged 64, buried at Rochester Cemetery
Alfred — born on 1 November 1852 at Barrabool Hills, married Emma Heard in 1877, died on 21 April 1946 at Echuca 
Mary Elizabeth — born in 1855, died on 17 September 1914 aged 60 years at her home 1 Balliang Street in South Geelong, buried in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery
Jane — born in 1857, married John Heal on 6 October 1892 at Holy Trinity Church Barrabool Hills
Phoebe Ann Stewart — born in 1859, married Francis Adolphus Patterson on 21 July 1888 at Holy Trinity Church Barrabool Hills, 
John Charles — born in 1862 at Barrabool, married Sarah Jane Rankin on 20 May 1886 at Boxthorn Park the home of the bride's father, died on 7 January 1893 aged 30 at Bendigo Hospital, buried at Rochester Cemetery
Alice — born in 1864, married Charles Heard on 15 March 1887 at Holy Trinity Church in Barrabool Hills
Walter  — born in 1867 at Ceres, married Maude Louise Heard in 1894, died in 1960 at Wodonga aged 93
Esther — born in 1869, married Robert Beck on 10 April 1889 at Holy Trinity Church in Barrabool Hills

John and Mary purchased a property at Ceres in 1848 and named it Dean Farm, after East Dean where John was born. Originally the farm consisted of 78 acres which John divided into 6 paddocks, but later purchased the adjoining 52 acres. He also constructed a 5 room cottage, built from rock located nearby. He also built an underground water tank, which was still in use generations later. He was said to have been the first person in the district to acquire a dray. Before this they would either walk to Geelong or carry goods on horseback. They were lucky to escape the Black Thursday bushfires as many nearby farmhouses were destroyed.

John and Mary took an active part in community life. He was a member of the first Vestry of Holy Trinity Church of England. Mary commenced the church school at Holy Trinity and became its first superintendent. John was a member of the Total Abstinence Society. John sold part of Dean Farm to the Minister of Education and Ceres Primary School is now located on the site. 

John and Mary lived at Dean Farm until their retirement, when they purchased a cottage in Highton (now 217 Mount Pleasant Road) which they named Sefton Cottage. 

​John died on 13 March 1902 aged 88 of influ-asthemia at Sefton Cottage and was buried in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery. Mary who also died at Sefton Cottage, on 18 January 1913 aged  85 of senility and gangrene of the left foot, was buried in the Church of England section of the same cemetery.

John Thomas, son of William Henry and Jane (née Heard) Edney was born on 18 August 1875 at Ceres. He married Caroline Tweeddale on 24 February 1904 at Leopold near Geelong. Caroline was born on 8 July 1880 at 7 Clarke Street, Newtown Geelong. She was the daughter of Henry Pythagoras and Annie (née Dawes) Tweeddale.

John and Caroline initially purchased a property at Colac but only stayed for a year. They then moved to Mount Duneed to get a more suitable climate for John's health.  They purchased a farm from William Preston. As the property was only 76 acres John took up share farming with Andrew White, an adjacent property owner, and grew grain until he developed a heart condition. In 1908 the family moved to Elcho Park in Lara where John leased land for mixed farming. When William retired from his farm "Clifton" in 1911, John and his family moved into the house and took over the running of the property. The property was sold in 1914 and the family moved to a 38 acre property at Mount Duneed.

In 1923 John was advised his that mountain air would be more suitable for his health, and so the property was sold and a clearing sale held on 18 March 1924. On the advice of his cousin, Walter Edney, the family moved to Yackandandah. Here they suffered two droughts, and the farm, which had a large orchard, became a failure. In 1937 John and Caroline went to live with their daughter Murial and son-in-law Walter at Ballantyre at Drysdale. John grew onions on the property until he retired. After the war they retired to Ocean Grove where they established a small market garden on a property he purchased consisting of 3 blocks on the corner of Orton Street and Barwon Heads Road.

​Obituary of John Edney, grandfather of John Thomas — from Geelong Advertiser 14 March 1902

contributed by Leanne Fagg
phone 52291571

​David Dee was born around 1820 in Waterford, Ireland.  In 1841 he arrived in Melbourne aboard the "Diamond", then 2 years later married fellow passenger Ellen Shea at St Marys Catholic Church Geelong.
 
Over the following 6 years they had 3 children (Michael, Mary and Hannah) while living at Irishtown (between Pakington and Belfast Sts, Newtown).
 
By 1851 they were living in Germantown (now Grovedale) as farmers, in a 2 room home on 4 acres near the current Peter Street.  Further children (Thomas, Martin and Bridget) were born in Germantown.
 
In 1856 David was granted Crown land Lot 14 and 15 (101 acres each) in Puebla Parish (on what is now Blackgate Rd) and built a 4 room home there.
 
However, a year later David was knocked off his horse by a tree branch, causing his death at age 33. Before the accident he had enjoyed 2 nobblers of wine at the German Town Inn (since demolished) then rode off towards home in the dark.
 
The Inquest into his death determined "he was not a habitual drunkard ... he was advised by a witness not to drink that evening as he had a very bad road to travel over.  He was in the habit of riding fast."
 
David was buried in the Catholic section of Geelong's Eastern Cemetery on 3 November 1857.
 
David's death left his wife Ellen with 6 children between the ages of 2 yrs and 13 yrs to support.
Ellen continued to farm their Puebla land (together with 7 acres of land in Germantown) with the help of her eldest son Michael.
 
In 1870 Ellen's misfortune continued when her daughter Mary died at home, aged only 22 yrs. 
 
The Geelong Advertiser reported "The funeral procession was a very long one, and reached from the top to the bottom of Moorabool St".  Mary was buried with her father David.

John Edward, eldest son of Johann (John)
​Christian and Dorothea Elizabeth (née Buttner) Andressen was born in 1863 at Grovedale.

He was a Shire of South Barwon councillor, serving for 22 years from 1896 until 1918. He served three terms as president of the shire  — 1901-02, 1907-08 and 1916-17. On 23 August 1904 when the last sale of Crown land in Grovedale was held, he purchased  allotments 3 – £230, 4 – £150 and 5 – £145. In 1911 he was appointed a justice of the peace. He was elected a trustee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Germantown in September 1913.When he retired he lived at 82 Swanston Street, Geelong.

​John died on 12 December 1961 at the age of 86 at a private hospital in Geelong. He was privately interred the next day in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with his wife Dorothea Catherine who died on 20 Jul 1961.

John Black became a Barrabool Shire councillor in 1903, a position he held for 10½ years. In 1915 after he sold his property he was forced to resign. A luncheon was held at the Moriac Hotel where councillors expressed their regret at losing such a splendid worker whose position would be very hard to fill. It was not long before he joined the Winchelsea council. 

In 1920 he was selected as the Farmers' Union candidate for Polwarth at the next State election. The same year he was welcomed as a new member of the Geelong Agricultural Society. 

On 30 August the same year his wife, Jane, died after a lingering illness. There was a large attendance, including many representative citizens, at the funeral which took place two days later at Winchelsea.

In 1922 he attended a conference of public bodies opposed to the elimination of the Federal electorate of Corangamite which was held at Mortlake. by now he was shire president.

In 1923 he was elected as a South Barwon councillor  for the Kardinia riding, serving until 1927.

He was a committee member for the Belmont Recreation Reserve.  In 1928 he was appointed electoral registrar for the Barrabool division of the South Western Province.

​He died on 29 November 1934 aged 69 years and was buried at the Winchelsea Cemetery.

​He subsequently married Cath, née Rutledge, the widow on Alex Johnston.

​Florence Henrietta Johnston, step-daughter of Cr John Black of Roslyn Road Belmont who won the queen competition held on 20 July 1926 in aid of St Stephen's Parish Hall, Church of England Belmont
Train bearers: Joan Clemenger, Joan Smith and Jackie Clemenger — from Geelong Advertiser 22 September 1926
​
Children of John and Jane:
William John — born in 1890 at Bellarine East
Francis James — born in 1893 at Bellarine East
Edward Ernest — born in 1895 at Portarlington, died in 1954 aged 54 at Brighton Beach
Sydney Gilmore — born in 1897 at Modewarre, died in 1944 aged 46 at Winchelsea