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.​

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.

​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.

Robert Ewing Blyth was the sixth child of Ewing and Agnes Blyth, born on 8 September 1872. In 1896 he married Elizabeth Ann Martin Cameron, daughter of John and Elizabeth Munro (née Gunn) Cameron. ​Their children were:
Elsie Ann Martin — born 1899 at Mount Duneed, married James Edward Clery in 1921, died 4 June 1987 aged 87, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Elizabeth Victoria — born 1901 at Connewarre, married Henry George McErvale on 16 March 1932 at Geelong, died 1975 aged 73 at Camperdown
Daisy — born 1904 at Geelong, married Allan Thomas Lawrence in 1936, died 1985 aged 80
Charlotte Amelia — born 3 July 1907 at Connewarre, died 3 December 1973 aged 66, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
​Isobel May — born 23 May 1910 at Mount Duneed
Robert John — born 23 November 1912 at Connewarre, married ​Hilda May Harrison in 1938, died 21 February 1992, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery 
​Raymond Douglas Haig — born 1919, died 21 February 1922 aged 2 years, buried in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery
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​The children attended the bluestone school three miles away, travelling across paddocks with high grass in summer and mud in winter, the girls in starched white aprons and collars and black stockings.

In 1909 he purchased 126 acres, previously owned by William Underwood, on the south east corner of Barwon Heads and Black Rock Roads, Connewarre. He called the property Elsinore. He cleared the farm of sheoaks and planted fruit trees. He built dams and bought dairy cows and pigs.

He took an active interest in community life. For about 50 years he was secretary of the Connewarre Presbyterian Church and was on the hall and school committees. He became a South Barwon Shire councillor, serving for 25 years and served three terms as president — 1915-16, 1924-25 and 1935-36. He was appointed a justice of the peace for the Southern Bailiwick by the State Executive on 11 June 1918. He was a director of the Geelong and Cressy Trading Company for 32 years.

Robert died on 12 April 1949, aged 77 years, and is buried in the Presbyterian section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery. He is buried with Elizabeth who died in 1931 aged 55 years. ​

Horace Frank, son of John and Annie Sarah (née Matthews) Richardson, was born on 8 November 1854 at Geelong. He went to Geelong College from 1866 to about 1870. He took an interest in sport, playing cricket with the Mercantile Club, Rowing with the Barwon Rowing Club and in later life playing bowls and croquet.

On ​16 February 1881 he married Edith Harriett Sommers (1860-1937) daughter of William and Annie Sommers. Their children were:
Stanley John  — born 1882, died 1961 at Camberwell aged 78
Elsie Dora — born 1884, died 1891 in Geelong aged 7 years
Alan William — born 1886, died 1970 at Preston aged 84 years
Francis Dudley — born 1889, died 1891 at Hawthorn
Norman Willis — born 1892, died 1893 at Geelong aged 1 year
Edith Annie Lynette — born 1893, married Gerald Rankin Lemon, died 1983
Frank Evan — born 1895, died 1963 at Anglesea

​After leaving school he worked for his father until 1873 when he commenced working for the Liverpool London and Globe Insurance Co in the Geelong branch. In 1876 he became secretary and treasurer of the Shire of South Barwon. He was a City of Geelong councillor for thirteen years, serving from 1884 until 1897 and from 1908 to 1912. He was mayor from 1894 to 1896. In 1897 he became a South Barwon shire councillor, serving until 1930. He was a president of the shire three times — 1900-01, 1908-09 and 1914-15. He won a seat on the Legislative Council in 1912 and became Minister of Forests from 1924 to 1927.

​He died on 28 October 1935 aged 80 years at his home "Kardinia" in Belmont and was buried in the Baptist section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. Edith died on 21 June 1937 aged 76 and was buried with him.





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Thomas Wills, fourth son of Major Henry Colden and Elizabeth (née Wills) Antill was born on 24 November 1829 at "Jarvisfield" near Picton in New South Wales. 

He played cricket for Victoria in the Tasmania v Victoria match  at Launceston on 11-12 February in 1851. His cousin Thomas Wills was an outstanding cricketer.

He was manager of the Union Bank of Australia Ltd. He became a South Barwon councillor serving from 1861 until 1862. The family moved to New Zealand early in 1862 where he continued his work for the Union Bank. A bank was built at Nelson and branches were opened at Havelock and Picton in 1864. He became a trustee of the Nelson Savings Bank in New Zealand in 1863. During his time in New Zealand he was active in church affairs. He was a churchwarden at Christ Church in Nelson. He was a director of the Permanent Building Society at Nelson. He was the chairman of the committee which organised a full day of celebrations followed by a ball to commemorate the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark on Tuesday 16 June 1863. 

He married Sarah Maria, daughter of Samuel  McKee on 7 May 1852 at St James' Church in Sydney. On 20 February 1853 they had a daughter, Maria Elizabeth, who married Murray Bennett McPherson in 1876. She died in Geelong in 1937.

Sarah died on 3 March in 1853 at Geelong and was buried the following day in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. 

The following year Thomas married Isabella Fisher on 15 June. They had the following children:
Henry Wills — born on 23 May 1855 at Willoughby in NSW, married Jane Gertrude McRae on 2 May 1885 , died on 4 January 1914 in New Zealand
Fanny Jessie — born ​in 1857 in New South Wales, died in 1910
Charlotte Maud — born in 1860 at Barrabool, died in May 1865 in Nelson in New Zealand
Mary Emily — born on 10 June 1863 in New Zealand, married Herbert Arthur Melhuish in 1891 in Queensland, died in 1947 aged 83 at St Kilda in Victoria

Thomas died on 11 May in 1865 aged 34 of scarlet fever at Nelson in New Zealand and was buried in the Church of England section of the Wakapuaka Cemetery. Isabella died on 28 October in 1875 aged 39.

Edward Wilks Gibson was a wool classer and honorary secretary of the Geelong and Western District Woolclassers' Association. He was a South Barwon councillor, serving from 1894 until 1899. He was president in 1896-97. He carried on a business at Marshalltown for 30 years.

He married Mary Ann Cameron in 1888. They had the following children:
​Wilberthe — born 1890
​Edward John — born 1893 Geelong, died 1981 at Elsternwick​ aged 89
​Lilly 
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​Edward died on 22 November 1953.

George Gardiner, a well-known oil and glue manufacturer, was born on 1 March 1845 at Bathurst. He married Mary Patton, a native of Glasgow. They had the following children:
George Arthur — born 1867 in Melbourne, married Mary Emily Searle in 1890, died in Prahran in 1935 aged 67
​John Wesley — born 1869 in Melbourne, died on 7 February 1906 as a result of suicide
Sophia Jane (Tottie) — born 1871 in Melbourne, married Henry Thomas Pride on 6 April 1898, died 6 August 1928 aged 56, buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Thomas — born 1873, married Mary Ollie in 1891, died 21 January 1946 in Geelong
Robert — born 1875, married Lillie Riley in 1911, died on 21 May 1954
Victoria — born 1878, married Ralph Martin, died in Fitzroy in 1894
Louisa — born 1879, married George Hillcant in 1911, died in Shepparton in 1949
Edith — born 1881, married Stephen Reynolds in 1903, died in Shepparton in 1950
Mary died at the age of 37 at her residence in Marshalltown on 18 January 1882 and was buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery in a single grave​.

On 21 Jun 1882 George married Mary Ann, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (née Hoyler) Jeffery of The Fernery, Newtown, at the High Church Manse. They had two children:
Elizabeth (Lily) — born 9 May 1883
Ethel Maud — born 19 September 1884, married George Cecil Pitcher​ in 1955, died in 1971 aged 86
Mary Ann died on 16 May 1887 from exhaustion caused by shock from accidental burning. She was buried with George's first wife, Mary, at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.

​By 1898 George was living at Sunnyside, on the corner of Brearleys Lane and Tannery Road, Marshalltown. In 1899 George married Emma Elizabeth Moran. It was obviously a short marriage as Emma was suing his for maintenance by 1910. On ​26 April 1907 a sale was held to dispose of household furniture and effects, live stock and farm implements as George had disposed of the property.

​He was a South Barwon Shire councillor, serving from 1874 until 91, 1889 until 1892 and 1895 until 1910. In 1898 he failed to lodge his nomination paper before the date necessary for lodgement, however an election was held to fill the extraordinary vacancy and he was the only person nominated and was duly elected a councillor. He was president of the shire twice — 1897-1898 and 1905-1906. He served on the council a total of 24 years. He was on the committee of the Torquay Improvement Association. He was a vice president of the Torquay Racing Club. The racecourse was on the property of Andrew White.

In 1884 George made arrangements to set up a tannery beside the Barwon River next to his glue factory. He later added the manufacture of fertilisers under the brand of "Magic". In 1894 George's glue factory was almost burnt to the ground. The efforts of the neighbours saved part of the buildings, and most of the equipment in the complex. Replacement buildings were erected and manufacturing of oil and glue resumed. He added extra buildings, fitted with the latest machinery for the manufacture of bone dust on a large scale. When the new plant was up and running George entertained the councillors, council officers and visitors and in the evening a banquet and social was held for about 150 of the neighbouring residents. In the new factory every safeguard was taken to ensure the strictest cleanliness and prevent the slightest objectionable odour which would be a source of nuisance to the residents in the vicinity. The "gaseous emanations" were passed at a high pressure through water, which is itself either again utilised or thoroughly disinfected before being discharged into the Barwon. After the tables were cleared dancing followed into the early hours. By 1910 business was slowing because of the scarcity of hides.

​On 7 February 1906 George's unmarried son, John Wesley, aged 36 years and 10 months committed suicide by shooting himself with a breech loading shotgun. He was buried with his mother and step mother, Mary Ann.

George died on 26 April 1911 at the age of 65 years and was buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. A large crowd attended the burial which was conducted by Rev D W Weir. The coffin was carried by F Baench, G Klemke, W Lockwood, L Jarvis, H Holmes and J Allen, all employees of the firm. The pall bearers were E Sparrow, W Munday, E Watson, F Tozer, C Palmer, H Storrer and G Dixon. Emma died on 23 December 1935 aged 87 years and was buried in a separate grave at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.

​On 15 December 1911 the tannery together with 22 acres of land was sold at auction to John Heslop for £3000.​​​ It was managed by Charles Frederick Palmer. He purchased the tannery in 1912.

At the time of his death in 1911, George Gardiner lived in a brick cottage erected on allotment 15 in Tannery Road, Marshall. The block also contained a weatherboard cottage which was leased. Across the road on allotment 4 was a tannery, bone mill, oil works, stables outbuildings and a small cottage. Two cottages were erected on allotment 4. Two more cottages were erected on allotment 5 which George also owned. He also owned a block in Breakwater, and a small acreage on or near the corner of The Esplanade and Beach Road in Torquay. He also owned farmland in the Parish of Puebla which backed onto Thompsons Creek.

In 1892 when the inspector, Sergeant Dawson,
visited Christopher John Tadgell's slaughter yard at Marshalltown he found it in a foul state. He recommended that Tadgell's license be cancelled, or the he be prosecuted for having the premises in an offensive state. Tadgell wanted a transfer of his license to a more suitable premises as the land was low-lying and impossible to drain. He had obtained land in Germantown (Torquay) Road where he carried on his trade. By the following year he was running a shop in Colac Road, Belmont and periodically renewed his slaughtering license. By 1900 he had his butchering business for sale. The following year he had re-commenced his business. 

In 1899 he was elected as a South Barwon councillor where he served until August 1902 when he was defeated by H R Winter. He then wished to be relieved of his position on the committee of management of the Belmont Recreation Reserve and was replaced by Councillor Andressen. A clearance sale was held at Ryrie Street on 17 July 1906. A mortgagee sale was held to sell the butcher's shop and residence at Belmont. By November he was selling meat in Little Malop Street, Geelong. In 1908 he was elected president of the Geelong Master Butcher's Association.
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​He married Emily Williams in 1891. They had the following children while living in Geelong:
Edith — born 1892, died 1910
Alfred Ernest — born 1893
​Percy Sidney  — born 1894, died 1959
Emily Eliza — born 1896
Florence — born 1898
​Christopher John — born 1899
Gerte May — born 1902
​Gladys Tihan — born 1907
Daisy Vic — born 1905
Arthur Keith born 1910, died 1974
Walter Leonard — born 1912

Christopher  moved to Gippsland in 1910, selling his 396 acre farm, one mile from Officer Railway Station, in 1912. In 1913 his shop in Belmont, occupied by his son, had been destroyed by fire. He died in 1938 aged 68 years at Sunbury and was buried at Fawkner Cemetery. Emily died at Camberwell on 23 January 1844 aged 73 and was buried at with him.

​Charles Nuttall, son of Thomas and Maria (née Nutall) Thorne, was born in​ Bristol in 1819. He arrived in Geelong on the Prince of Wales via Sydney in 1847. He resided at Thornehill, a property with a lodge and vineyard in Highton. Thornhill Road takes its name from him. He had married Frederica Susanna Bayly who was born in Newfoundland in Canada. They had the following children:
Thomas Walter — born about 1845 in Newfoundland, married Agnes McKellar on 18 August 1872 at St Paul's church, London, died 2 June 1924 aged 79 at Kurryala in Muston Street in Mosman NSW. Thomas rode his pony into Geelong each to attend the Church of England grammar school.
Frederica Bayly — born on 25 October 1846 in London, married George Frederick Belcher on 28 August 1875, died in 1881 at Leopold
Emily Elizabeth — born in 1848, died 1927 in Geelong
Albert Charles — born on 31 May 1850 at Newtown, married Alice Odell on 10 September 1872 at the Congregational Church in Prahran
unnamed female — born on 20 April 1852 at Barrabool Hills
Isabella Sophia — born in 1853 at Barrabool Hills, died 18 January 1908 at Meek Street, Brighton
Florence Augusta — born on 21 March 1855 at Barrabool Hills, married George Frederick Belcher on 12 April 1887 at Christ Church in Hawthorn, died in 1921 aged 66, buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
unnamed female — born 1856 at Geelong
Thekla Julia — born in 1857, died on January 1940 aged 82 at Noble Street in Newtown
Henry Heber — born in 1861 in Melbourne, died 7 April 1883 aged 21 in Gunning in NSW
George Augustus — born 1859 at Barrabool Hills, married Alice Maude Llewelyn on 17 February 1892 at St John's Church in Toorak
Ella Tryphena — married Henry Bruce Morton on 11 November at Christ Church, South Yarra
unnamed female — born 1863 at Melbourne

Charles was described as a merchant and a banker. He was appointed a justice of peace in 1850. In 1853 he tendered his resignation as a member of the Town Council for the Kardinia ward. He was chairman of the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company which constructed and owned the railway between Geelong and Melbourne. The line was officially opened on 25 June, 1857. He was a director of the Geelong branch of the Bank of New South Wales and a member of the Geelong board of the Professional Life Assurance Company. He was a South Barwon councillor from 1850-1860.

He was on a building committee with John Highett and Edward Sandford to supervise the building of the St John's Anglican school which cost a total of £1000. The school opened on 24 April, 1854 with 33 boys and 32 girls in attendance. This building was used for the first Anglican services in Highton and was on the corner of Scenic (originally named Boundary) and Barrabool Roads.

​​He moved away from Geelong to Newcastle where he became a partner in the shipping firm of Dibbs, Thorne and Co, the manager of the Newcastle Joint Stock Bank, involved in the coal industry and chairman of the Newcastle Minmi Colliery Company. He then to South Yarra where he died on 26 June, 1864 at the age of 44 years after a long and painful illness. He was buried in the Church of England section of the St Kilda Cemetery. ​Frederica, who died on 7 December 1892 aged 70 was buried with him.

 William Gilbert McKellar was born in 1811 in Middlesex, England. He came to Australia at the age of 40, ​​in October 1852, on the Cossipore. He brought with him his wife Maria Esther née Jones, five sons and two daughters.

​He was a councillor and first chairman of the Shire of South Barwon. He served from 1857-1860. He was on the committee of the Chamber of Commerce from 1855 to 1861 and was chairman in 1860. ​He was a director of the Geelong branch of the Bank of New South Wales. He was on the management committee of the Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Co. when the Geelong office was established.

He lived at Fernside, a property of 10 acres in Highton. He returned to England in May 1861 with some of his family and spent the final years of his life in England, dying at Weston-Super-Mare in January 1898 at the age of 85 years.

George Edward, son of George Edward and Mary (née Young) Southey, was born on 26 May 1819 at Blackheath, Kent, England. 

In 1848 he married Catherine née Bowden and had the following children:
George Edward — born 1850, married Elizabeth Allan
​Samuel Bowden — born 1853, married Maud Marie Rabling, died 1913 at Collingwood
Sidney Hiram — born 1854, married Georgina Bannerman Forsyth, died 13 January 1892 at Port Melbourne
Catherine Amanda — born 1856, died 1857 aged 17 months
Catherine, who was born in 1818 died in 1856.

George subsequently married Catherine's sister Mary in England and together with their son, Sydney, they arrived in Port Phillip in February 1859 aboard the Suffolk. They had the following children after arriving:
Clara Eliza — born 1859 in Geelong
Frances Amanda — born 1861, married James Sturman Taylor
Magdaline Jane — born 1863, died 22 April 1865 at the age of 1 year, buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery

A couple of years after George's death Mary re married Joseph Dibbs Mowbray.

​In 1853, George became the first licensee of the Geelong Hotel, a hotel which had a number of name changes. In 1860 it was named the Geelong Family Hotel, a name that lasted for only a year. In 1878 it was called Southey's Hotel, but that also lasted only a year. At some time in the 20th century it became known as the Corio Hotel. Recently, after a renovation the name was changed back to The Geelong Hotel.

The family lived at Amanda Villa in Bonsey Road, Highton. It was erected in 1854-1857 as a 5 room Georgian stone colonial building.  Later the house became known as Aringa and the present address is 5 Aringa Avenue.

​George was a South Barwon Shire councillor, serving from 1862-1867.
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George died on 22 July 1867 and was buried in the Church of England section at the Geelong Western Cemetery with his first wife Catherine and daughters Magdeline Jane and Catherine Amanda.​ His long funeral cortege had an imposing effect and the majority of businesses on the route were closed. The mayors and a number of councillors of Geelong and South Barwon as well as many of the leading tradesmen and vine growers of the town and district followed the deceased to the grave. 

Mary married Joseph Dibbs Mowbray on 20 May 1869 at Wesley Church in Melbourne. Joseph was the first head master of Ashby State School (now Geelong West Primary School). 

​​Samuel, son of James and Alice (née Tomlinson) Corrigan,  was born in 1820 in Dublin, Ireland. His father Lieutanant James Corrigan, who was an officer in the 74th regiment (Dublin Light Infantry) during the Peninsular War was given a grant of land at Jerusalem (now Colebrook), Tasmania, for his services in Spain. He arrived at Van Diemens Land on 14 October 1832 with his wife, seven children and servants on the Sarah​. With property he purchased he was farming 2000 acres by 1838. This farm was called Altamont.

​On 4 May 1848 Samuel married Louisa Lascelles at the residence of her father in Richmond in Tasmania. Louisa was a sister of Martha Elizabeth Lascelles who married Charles John Dennys in 1855. Samuel and Louisa had the following children:
​Helen — 7 June 1849 in Tasmania, married Tom Harrison Davis, died 3 June 1849 at Canterbury, Kent, England (Mrs Harrison Davis below)
James Henry Harewood Lascelles — born 18 April 1851 at Hobart, married Margaret Major in 1901 in New Zealand, died 1925 at Wellington, New Zealand (see death notice below)
Cornelius Fookes  — born 20 November 1852 at Hobart in Tasmania, married Deborah Blake in New Zealand, died 1902 at Broken Hill in New South Wales
​Alice Mary — born 1856 at Geelong, married Frederick Jeffray Steuart on 6 May 1875 at St George's Church in Carlyle in New Zealand, died 1949 in New Zealand
​Samuel Bradley — born 1858 at Breadwater, married Florence Amy Hilton on 24 July 1893 in the bishop's private chapel at Auckland in New Zealand, died 12 October 1924 at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England. Before his death he was manager of the Cregg estate at Carrick-on-Suir at County Carlow in Ireland
Louisa May — born 25 June 1860 at Sea View House Geelong, married Henry Roberts Parrington on 28 July 1881 at St Stephen's, Marton, died 30 June 1936 at Heidelberg
​Emma Mabel (Mabel) — born 10 March 1891, married Edwin Bingley Welch on 10 March 1891 at Westwood, Otakeho, New Zealand, died of typhoid aged 25 on 1 August 1895 at Manngautoroto, Kaipara, New Zealand

Samuel farmed land in Tasmania before settling in Geelong where he wanted to set up a fellmongery. In November 1854 he leased the melting down works below the Breakwater owned by Charles John Dennys. Back then both sides of the Barwon were called Breakwater, but now this area between the Breakwater and Waurn Ponds Creek is called Belmont.

​On 10 June 1857 Corrigan purchased the 5 allotments on which the factory stood for £1400.
In 1857 he became a South Barwon Shire councillor, serving until 1859. In 1867 he called tenders for laying pipes to bring water from above the Breakwater to get cleaner water for scouring. Business was good during this period, but by 1871 the works had come to a standstill.

​In October 1871 the first wool clip of the season from Geelong was rushed to London on the Loch Leven. ​Two days into the journey a heavy fog and rough seas on the north side of King Island caused the ship to hit the rocks on Harbinger Reef about 2 kilometres south east of Cape Wickham. The 10 passengers and 33 crew were saved. When the captain returned to the ship his boat overturned and he was drowned. The Loch Leven was purchased by Goldsbrough and Co, an impromptu company of twelve shareholders. Corrigan proceeded to King's Island in the Keera​ for the purpose of preserving the wool that was strewn along the beach. The complete cargo which was insured was valued at £150,000.

​By 1872 Corrigan had put his fellmongery on the market, with the view of moving to New Zealand. He had already sold his "Sea View House", next to Aberdeen Street Baptist Church, and put his home in Victoria Terrace (now Western Beach Road) up for sale. Finally Andrew Bridge White bought the business and the land for £3000 on 7 May 1874. On 14 January 1875 White had a successful sale, leaving only the buildings and the land on which they stood. The land was not sold until 17 January 1879 when Dan Fowler purchased the land for £200 and let it out for grazing. The low price was probably because it was intersected by the Colac rail line. 

​The family moved to New Zealand. Corrigan farmed with his future son-in-law, Frederick Jeffray Steuart for about six years, ending the partnership in 1880. He died in 1903 at Otakeho, New Zealand where he had been living for the previous 30 years. Louisa died on 21 December 1902 at the residence of her son-in-law Frederick Jeffrey  Steuart, Stratford, New Zealand.

Louisa's grandmother, Ellen (Ann) Wainwright had the "honour"of arriving with the first fleet in 1788, transported for seven years from Lancashire, England, at the age of 17 years for stealing items of clothing.
​(Val Smith — New Zealand Botanical Society newsletter 2016) 

A New Zealand plant "Hebe Corriganii" was named after Dominic Harewood Lascelles Corrigan (1874-1962). Dominic's father was Cornelius Fookes Corrigan. Cornelius was born in Richmond, Tasmania, grew up in Geelong, Victoria, and by 1868 was working in Dunedin as a bank teller under William Larnach (also from Geelong). On 17 January 1874 in the Otepoto parish, Cornelius married Deborah Blake, daughter of hotelkeeper Robert Blake (1816-1882) and his wife Julie Minden (1819-1885), who moved from Tasmania to Dunedin around 1864 and later to Thames. In April 1874, in one of his many brushes with the law, Cornelius was sentenced to three years "penal servitude" for cheque forgery. Dominic was born on 17 June 1874 and named after Sir Dominic Corrigan (1802-80), a first cousin of his grandfather. 
(from an article by Val Smith in the New Zealand Botanical Society newsletter 2016)​

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

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

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

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

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

​
​

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


​

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​Charles John, son of Nicholas Belfield and Eliza (née Lascelles) Dennys, was born in 1818 in England. He was an early settler of Geelong, arriving in the colony in 1842.

​He married his cousin Martha Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Allen Lascelles, on 8 November 1855 at Trinity Church at Barrabool. They had the following children:
Ethel — born 9 Jun 1857, married Edward Harewood Lascelles on 21 February 1889 at Christ Church, died in 1952 at South Yarra aged 95
unnamed female — born 4 September 1858, died soon after of spinal injuries caused by extreme fright which happened to mother during pregnancy
Laura — born 9 August 1859, married Holford Highlord Wettenhall, died in 1932 at Armadale aged 73 years.
Emmeline — born 19 November 1861, died 1941 at Toorak aged 79

​In 1847 he bought the Barwon Melting Establishment, a tallow-rendering works below the breakwater. In 1850 a leather warehouse was added.  Back then both sides of the river were called Breakwater. Now the area north of Waurn Ponds Creek is known as Belmont and the area south of the creek is called Marshall. Early in 1851 Dennys decided to retire from the business for a while and took a trip to England. After he returned he decided to put the melting establishment up for sale. The sale was on 28 August 1854, but the buildings did not sell. By November he was successful in renting out the business to Samuel Bradley Corrigan. On 19 June 1857 Corrigan decided to buy the works for £1400.

​Dennys then concentrated on wool broking and the selling of wool by auction. He leased the large stores erected by George Armytage on Victoria Terrace (now Western Beach Road) and west of Gheringhap Street. He had a number of partnerships. In 1868 the business purchased an old coal yard on the corner of Moorabool and Brougham Streets where they built an imposing bluestone wool store and offices. This building is now occupied by the National Wool Museum.
​
​He was appointed First Secretary of the District Council of Grant on 19 October 1843. He was one of the first councillors of the Shire of South Barwon, serving from 1857 to 1859. 

In 1851 Dennys had bought five farms from W C Haines at Barrabool which he leased out to farmers including Giacomo Auchetto and R Woodward.

​​He lived at Claremont (then called Claremont Hall), in Noble Street, Newtown from 1876 until his death on 4 February, 1898 aged 80 years. He was survived by his children Laura, Emmeline and Ethel. Martha had died at Claremont on 11 April, 1896 at the age of 72. The flags were flying at half-mast on various wool warehouses and several private buildings on Monday 13 April as a mark of respect on the day of her interment at the Eastern Cemetery. The funeral cortege was a lengthy one.​