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.

​​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.

​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). 

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

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


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