In the mid 1850s the land around the Waurn Ponds Creek was sold in small lots of varying sizes. William Murray established the Waurn Ponds Inn in 1856 on the south-west corner of Marendaz and Colac Roads. The population in the area had increased rapidly with quarries, orchards and vineyards providing plenty of work. By 1859 Charles Simmons, who migrated from Norfolk, England to join his parents, took over the hotel. He retired from the hotel in 1876 and farmed land at Waurn Ponds until his death on 22 January 1894 at the age of eighty years. He was buried at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. |
Charles Carter — born in 1832 at Norfolk, married Elizabeth Gaunt on 14 July 1856, died on 25 January 1921, buried at Maddingley General Cemetery
Robert Carter — born in 1833 at Titchwell in Norfolk, died on 2 July 1900 at Lubeck in Victoria
Zipporah — born about 1834 in Norfolk, died in Norfolk
Amelia — born about 1836
Zipporah — born in 1842 at Downham Market in Norfolk, married James Francis Tribolet on 12 November 1891 in Melbourne, died on 4 January 1898 at Waurn Ponds, buried in the Baptist section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
Thomas — born on 10 January 1845 at Downham Market in Norfolk, married Eliza Field on 25 August 1870, married Margaret Dwyer in 1883, died on 13 March 1922 aged 77 years at the home of his son-in-law at Rowsley, buried at the Coburg Cemetery
Eliza Catherine — born in 1848, married Samuel Harbour in 1870 at Geelong, died on 19 June 1923
Emily — born on 15 February 1850, married John Faulkner, married James John Loone in 1875, married John Dalrymple Ross in 1886, died on 8 January 1894 aged 45 at Geelong, buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery
John — born on 8 December 1852 at Waurn Ponds, married Jessie Ann Hunter in 1873, died in 1911 aged 59 years at Warragul
Ann — born on 9 December 1852 at Geelong, married John Fitzpatrick on 25 August 1870 at High Church in Geelong
William — born on 20 September 1855 at Mount Duneed, married Rebecca Hunter in 1877, died on 14 August 1932 aged 76 at Geelong, buried in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery