John William, son of John and Agnes (née Howe) Prowse, was born in 1878 at Weering. By 1890 his parents had taken up farming at Layard.

John became a Barrabool Shire councillor in 1916 and served until 1950 including six terms as president in 1923, 1926, 1929, 1932, 1937 and 1946.

He married Mary Hammond in 1902. They had the following children at Mount Moriac:
Margaret Agnes — born 1902
Dorothy Irene — born 1904
John William Garnard — born 1906, died 17 August 1985 aged 79, buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery​
Alma Milford — born 1908

Mary died on 19 October 1918 and was buried in the Church of Engl​and section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery. John died on 30 October 1951 at Geelong and was buried with Mary.

Robert Laidlaw, son of William and Rachel (née Andison) Fletcher was born on 7 July 1844 at Morbattle, Roxburgh in Scotland. He arrived in Victoria aboard the Six Sisters in January 1853 with his mother, father, sisters and brother. Shipping records show their ages were: 
William — 33
Rachel — 31
Robert — 8
Margaret — 5
​Janet — 3
John — 1
​
He married Mary Harriet, daughter of John and Mary (née Hay) Hensley of Mount Moriac, on 5 June 1873. He became a Barrabool Shire councillor, serving from 1871 until 1886 and 1896 until 1916. He was appointed a justice of the peace for the Southern Bailiwick on 19 December 1881 and on 11 July 1885.

He died on 24 July 1918 at the age of 76 at Ewerby in Mount Moriac and was buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery. Mary died at the age of 85 and was buried on 17 November 1942 in an unknown location at the Mount Moriac Cemetery.

John Hensley was a Barrabool Shire councillor, serving from 1866 until 1871, but his life in Australia began many years before he came to the Geelong district. He was born in 1821 in Bristol, England. In 1838 at the age of 17 he emigrated with his 24 year old brother, Charles, on the Pestonjee Bomanjee to South Australia. In 1852 they bought the 79 square mile property Cairnbank in the south east. A number of successful years allowed them to pay off their loan in six years and then to have a two storey Georgian mansion to be built on the station. For eighteen years he had prosperity he never expected allowing him to expand  to Pinnaroo, Mount Elgin and Bleak House stations. His brother, Charles, died on 30 April, 1878 at Cairnbank.

During this time in South Australia he had married Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth (née McLean) Hay and they had several children:
Richard — born 1847
Elizabeth — born 1849, married Rev John Sinclair on 27 August 1878
Mary Harriet — born 1851, married Robert Laidlaw Fletcher on 5 June 1873, buried in an unknown location in the Mount Moriac Cemetery on 17 November 1942 ​
William Hay — born 1753, married Mary Annie Hudson in 1888 at Norwood, Adelaide
John Alexander — born 1856, married Katie McCullock​ on 21 May 1891, died 21 February 1921
Jesse Susan — born about 1859, married Robert Henry Boadle on 5 June 1888 at Cairnbank, died on 22 October 1946 at Nhill Hospital
Margaret Annie Stewart — born 1861, married George McCoy on 16 April 1885 at Ewerby Mount Moriac
Charles James — born 1863

In 1865 he moved to the Geelong district. In 1872 he was at Ewerby in Mill Road (Hendy Main Road, north of the Colac Road), Mount Moriac, a property previously owned by Benjamin Tindale, a native of Ewerby ​near Sleaford in Lincolnshire. In 1875 he bought Minter's Mount Moriac Estate of 680 acres. He eventually owned 5112 acres.

His first setback was in November 1872 with the failure of the Provincial and Suburban Bank. The directors were prosecuted for fraud. Then the pastoralists started to have their land forcibly resumed for agricultural selection. These events caused him great financial hardship.

​In 1874 he was elected a trustee of St Thomas' Church of England in Winchelsea. In 1882 he retired to a new house built in Latrobe Terrace, Geelong, leaving his son-in-law to run Ewerby. He died of bronchitis on 29 September 1891 at the age of 70 at the Free Presbyterian Manse in Great Myers Street, the residence of his son-in-law with whom he had lived for the previous two years. Mary had died the previous year on 5 January aged 66. They are both buried in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.

researched by Leanne Fagg  phone 03 5229 1571

James Peter, son of Peter and Margaret (née McLoughlin) Buckley was born  in 1851 at Barrabool. He married Mary Ann, daughter of Charles and Margaret (née Darcy) Doherty in 1879. They had the following children:
Charles — born in 1880 at Terrick Terrick (Pyramid Hill), died at Mologa (Pyramid Hill) the same year
Elizabeth Margaret (Bessie) — born in 1881 at Pyramid Hill (#18703), married Thomas Joseph Ervin in 1904, died in 1972 at Newtown in Geelong aged 90 (3769), buried at Mount Moriac Cemetery with her husband
Agnes — born in 1883 at Pyramid Hill and died there the same year
Ernest William — born in 1886 at Pyramid Hill and registered at Ball (Ballarat/Ballan?), both being on the possible route taken by his parents on their way back to the Mount Moriac area around that time, died in 1972 at Rosebud aged 86
Charles John Patrick — born in 1889 at Mount Moriac, died in 1964 at Parkville aged 75
Peter James — born in 1891 at Mount Moriac or Ceres, died in 1973 at Sandringham aged 82 where he lived with his brother John
Mary Helena — born in 1893 at Ceres (birth registered at Gell), married George Helms in 1953, died in 1982 at Geelong aged 88
John Francis — born at Mount Moriac, died at Sandringham in 1964 aged 69

In 1864 a James Buckley received £45 for maintaining the Barrabool Road from Annersley's to Carey's cottage (near Gnarwarre), as well a the Mill Road south to Auchetto's Vineyard.
from 'Barrabool Land of the Magpie' by Ian Wynd

Charles Norman, third son of George and Rebecca (née Greenwood) Morrison was born on 4 December 1866 at Knole House, the old Geelong College house in Skene Street. His home had been at Geelong College for most of his life. His father was the founder and owner of the college. Norman became vice-principal in 1891 and gradually took over from his father who died in 1898. In 1908 the Presbyterian Church took over the running of the college.

​When he purchased his farm in 1909 at Moriac he named it The Ardoch after his grandfather's Ardoch Farm in the parish of Edenkillie, near Forres, Morayshire in Scotland. He became active in the Moriac area, joining the Paraparap and Pettavel Progress Association and helping to start the new schools in the area.

On Friday 12 November 1909 he travelled by train to his farm to do some rabbit hunting before dark. According to various newspaper advertisements for the property it was anything from half a mile to 2 miles from the station. He intended to stay overnight and return to Geelong on the Saturday morning. In the morning his body was found beside a wire fence 300 yards from the cottage. Evidently he had been going through the fence when he tripped and the shotgun exploded. 

​Morrison left real estate of £6354 and personal estate of £9587 to his mother. She died in March 1932 at the age of 94. 

​The Ardoch was advertised for sale or lease a number of times and was run by Robert Purnell for a number of years. In November 1921 when the lease to A E Kinnersley was due to expire on 1 March the following year, the property was advertised for sale for the last time.

Lawrence Trewin, was one of the first settlers in Duneed parish, having purchased 320 acres of Crown land in April 1850. He later purchased adjoining allotment to the west, originally purchased by John Kiddle, who had died in 1852. This allotment of 603 acres stretched from Reservoir Road to Waurn Ponds Creek. It had a frontage to Devon and Cape Otway Roads. The Colac Road was later to pass through this allotment. He named his farm Clifford​ and this later became the name of the surrounding settlement. He owned a store and hotel which were near the corner of Colac and Devon Roads. In 1873 he announced he was selling his stock and leaving the district for Echuca, but it was not until 1877 that his 535 acres and seven room stone house were successfully auctioned. The buyer was John Clinnick who owned ​Glendarroch, the adjoining farm. Thomas Larcombe was a later owner.

​Lawrence was one of a group of men who actively campaigned for better roads in the Barrabool and Duneed parishes late in 1850. He became a founding member of the Barrabool Road Board in 1854 and served again in 1862. Eventually 800 metres of the Colac Road ran through his farm. He was a member of the Bible Christian Church and the cricket club. He enjoyed many ploughing matches instituted by the Geelong Agricultural Society which also provided most of the prize money. Two of his sons, William and John, competed as boys.

​On 17 July 1866 at 7 pm, Lawrence was riding home when he had an awful accident when his horse ran into an unlit cab. His valuable horse was killed instantly by the shaft penetrating its heart and he had his foot amputated leaving him disabled. 
​
Lawrence, son of Francis and Elizabeth (née Watts) Trewin, was baptised on 14 March 1819 at Kilkhampton, Cornwall, England. He married Ann Martin on 1 April, 1841. Soon after they sailed for Australia on the Westminster​, arriving on 30 July 1841. Lawrence was 23 and Ann 21 years of age and both were shown as farm servants. They both worked for Dr Alexander Thompson on arrival. Ann was also born at Kilkhampton on 4 November 1820. Lawrence and Ann's children, most of whom were born at Mount Moriac, were:
Elizabeth ​— born 1842, married Herbert Cotton of 6 November 1862 at St Paul's Geelong, died 20 April 1879
​William — born 1844, married Matilda Argus in 1868, died 12 May 1870 aged 26 at Mount Moriac from TB, buried in an unknown location at the Mount Moriac Cemetery
​Sarah — born 1846, married Charles Lawrence in 1867, died 1884
​Mary Ann — born 1848, married William Bassett Argus on 13 April 1868, died 14 June 1891 at Tallygaroopna
​Emma Grace — born 1 October 1851, married John Thomas Argus on 21 December 1873, died 28 January 1935 at Toowoomba, Queensland
Francis Lawrence — born 1852, married Sophia Heard Trewin, died 1932
John Thomas — born 1855, married Letitia Ursula Brown in 1875, died 26 October 1934
​Julia Louise — born 1856, died 1873 aged 16, buried at Mount Moriac Cemetery in an unknown location
Charles Albert — born 1858, married Annie Maria Mapletoft in 1884, died 20 December 1931 at Caulfield South aged 73
​Henry Lewis — born 1860, married Edith Payne in 1887, died 20 April, 1889
​Fanny Victoria Henrietta — born 22 December 1872, married James Moss on 4 October 1881, died 16 February 1923

Ann died on 2 April 1878 at Wharparilla aged 57 and was buried at Echuca. Lawrence later moved to Deans Marsh where his younger brother, George, was living. He died there on 24 September 1891 aged 72. He was buried at Bambra by the Rev J Baglin of the Bible Christian Church.

Giacomo Auchetto, an Italian aged 44 years,  left England in October 1855 on the ​Eagle, arriving in Australia in January the following year.  He married Honora Fogarty on 15 January 1859 at the Moriac chapel by the catholic priest Michael Farrelly. Honora was born in 1829 in Tipperary, Ireland. They had the following children:
Mary Ann ​— born 1858 in Geelong, died 9 January 1954 at Warragul
Michael — born 1862 in Geelong, died 8 June 1948 at Kalgoorlie
John Francis — born 1863 at Geelong, died 24 January 1935 at Ballarat aged 72

​Giacomo leased 10 acres on the east side of Mill Road (Hendy Main Road) at Mount Moriac from CJ  Dennys where he ran a vineyard. Later Eugene Frasse leased the vineyard.

​On 18 April 1864 Giacomo was admitted to Geelong Hospital suffering from severe internal injuries. A combination of a bad road and a badly behaved horse caused him to be thrown out of the wagon he was driving. As often happened when these accidents occur, the wheel of the wagon ran over him.

​Honora died on 4 May 1918 at Ballarat.

Soon after the marriage of John, son of Nicholas and Priscilla (née Allison) Argus, and Mary Bassett they applied to leave England as bounty emigrants. John had learned his trade as a stonemason and considered that he would have good work opportunities in Australia. Mary's brother, Thomas, and his wife Mary were booked to travel with them on the Sea Queen​ which set sail from London on 29 November 1843 picking up Irish emigrants at Cork. The first night after leaving Cork, twenty three crew members mutinied and the ship returned to quell the rebellion. Bad weather caused the ship to return four times before it was able to finally start its southward journey. It was a long journey taking 138 days before arriving in Melbourne. John was engaged by John Wippell of Heidelberg for seven months, working 10 hour days, six days a week. 

​John and Mary stayed in Collingwood where their first child was born two months after their arrival. The family lived at Brighton for a few years, where their next two children were born. By 1853 they were living at Darebin where their next child was born. They then moved to the Barrabool Hills, renting a 200 acre farm from John Honey. Back then there were no bridges to cross the Barwon. The alternatives were a punt or the breakwater or one of the two fords — Dewins's or Pollock's. Roads were either bad or non-existent. Before the Colac Road was made the track to Moriac was along the south side of Waurn Ponds Creek.

In 1858 a bush fire devastated Mount Moriac, which was thickly timbered at the time. Although all efforts were made to control it they were unsuccessful. The long grass and other flammable material made their task hopeless. WC Haines lost most of his crop, which was cut and in stooks. The fire burned for several days and was a splendid sight at night. Cows and bullocks often wandered onto crops, which were generally unfenced.

Some time after 1858 John rented a farm from John Heard. ​The family remained there until 1875. The advertisement in the Geelong Advertiser prior to the sale of John Heard's land gives some indication of the location of the farm (portion of section 1 of the parish of Barrabool and portion 1 allotment B of the parish of Duneed). John was paying rates on land in the Parish of Barrabool, Ceres riding and the Parish of Duneed, Moriac riding. This is consistent with the advertisement. Ian Wynd in Barrabool — Land of the Magpie states "Heard acquired portions of WC Haines land on each side of Waurn Ponds Creek which he offered at auction in 1875 as magnificent land with a 5 room house". This land of 259 acres in section 1 Parish of Barrabool and portion 1 allotment B in the Parish of Duneed. Haines had owned land from Reservoir Road, Mount Moriac to the Barwon River at Pollocksford. 

The family attended the Bible Christian Church in Mill Road (now Hendy Main Road). Proximity to the church may have been the reason the family chose to settle in Mount Moriac. In 1869 John  was hit with a rotten egg thrown by a group of troublesome lads.  

John and Mary's sons, William and John enjoyed ploughing matches. It may have been where they met their future wives, Mary Ann and Emma Grace Trewin. 

​John and Mary's children were:
William Bassett ​— born 14 January 1844 at Collingwood, married Mary Ann Trewin 13 April 1868, died 15 January 1910 at York WA
John Thomas ​— born 1847 at Brighton, married Emma Grace Trewin on 21 December 1873, died 1929 at Wagga Wagga NSW
Matilda ​— born 1853 at Brighton, married William Trewin in 1868 and John Coldwell in 1891, died 21 August 1926 at Shepparton
​Elizabeth Ann ​— born 1753 at Darebin, married John Coldwell in 1872, died 13 May 1888 at Tallygaroopna
Mary Ann ​— born 1863 at Mount Moriac, married William Bowey, died 12 October 1944 at Mooroopna

​George Naylor was born in North Wheatley, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the son of George and Martha (née Cotton) Nailor. He married Mary Baynes (née Glew) in Messingham, Lincolnshire, England on 1 June 1842. She was the daughter of Robert and Ann (née Watson)Glew. They had 4 children:
​   Robert — born England, died 7 March 1843
   George — born Barrabool Hills, 1846
​   Mary Jane — born 30 October 1847
   Martha Elizabeth — born and died 1852

Mary had previously been married to William Baynes and they had 3 children:
   Hannah — born about 1829
​   William — born 1831
​   Ethalinda — born about 1838

​George Naylor died on 5 February 1854. An inquest was held by Dr Foster Shaw at the home of Charles Foster, brother-in-law of the deceased on 7 February. Depositions were given by several witnesses:
   Mary Naylor — wife of the deceased
   Thomas Rea — a neighbour
​   Robert Glew — Mary Naylor's father
​   Isabella Scott — servant of the deceased
​   William Naylor Foster — George Naylor's nephew 
​  
In evidence it appeared George had lived unhappily with Mary for some time and they had separated because of his ill treatment of her. He wrote a letter to Mary which was delivered to her by their servant Isabella Scott, requesting that she return home. Mary was afraid to go back to him and asked him to call upon her at the home of her sister, Rebecca Foster, where she was staying. He did this on Sunday 5 February and an argument ensued. He then took a knife out of his pocket and slashed his throat while still on horseback. He galloped off and after about 60 yards fell from the horse dead. The verdict was suicide while being of unsound mind. He was buried at the Mount Moriac Cemetery.

​His son George met with an unfortunate accident on 15 April, 1904 when an axe he was using gashed an artery near his ankle. He was buried at the Mount Moriac Cemetery with his mother who died on 28 June 1894 at the age of 81.

Samuel, the son of William and Catherine (née Bradley) Danger, was born in 1846 at Newton, Cambridgeshire, England. He sailed for Australia at the age of 8 on the ​Sir Robert Sale ​arriving in the colony of Victoria in July 1852 with his mother, father, brothers and sisters.

​He  married Susannah née Broughton on 22 April 1867 at Christ Church Geelong. She was the daughter of Robert  and Mary (née Butler) Broughton, born in 1846 in Washingborough, Lincolnshire, England. They lived in Torquay Road between Whites and Feehans Roads for many years and had the following children:

Catherine Mary — born 1868, married Francis Henry Stacey, died 30 May 1943 at her son's residence in South Geelong
Susannah Jane — born 1 December 1870, married Patrick Joseph Coleman, died 4 November 1957
William Robert — born 1873, died 1875
Samuel — born 1875, married Agnes Eliza Klemke, died in 1928. He was employed at the Excelsoir Woollen Mills for a great number of years and as a token of respect a large group of workmates attended his funeral. He was buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery with his wife Agnes Eliza
Elizabeth Annie — born 1878, married Ronald Victor Henry Stephenson, died 1959
Ellen Broughton — born 1880
​William James — born born 1893, died 1962
​
​Samuel died on 18 October 1880 and was buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Moriac Cemetery. Susannah died on 7 March 1917 at her residence in Swanston Street Geelong and was buried in the Church of England section of the Mount Duneed Cemetery.

The headstone of Samuel (above) and son William Robert (right) are enclosed with a wrought iron fence. William's monument has fallen from its plinth and broken. Susannah was buried in an unmarked grave at the Mount Duneed Cemetery.

William, son of William and Elisabeth (née Marshall) Danger, was born in 1816 in Cambridgeshire, England. In 1839 he married Catherine Duxson née Bradley, who was born about 1808, at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. They had the following children in Newton, Cambridgeshire:
​Stephen — born about 1840, married Lucy Ann Knight, died 1928 at Newtown
William — born about 1842, died 15 December 1899
Samuel — born 1846 at Newton Cambridgeshire, married Susannah Broughton on 22 April 1867 at Christ Church, Geelong, died 18 October 1880
Mary — born in 1846, married Charles Henry Smith, died in 1940
​Elizabeth Catherine ​— ​born 11 March 1849, married Robert Ellis, died 22 May 1937 in Geelong
​

When son William, who was unmarried, died on 15 December 1899 aged 57 he left his estate to his surviving siblings, brother ​Stephen Danger of Geelong, and sisters ​Mary Smith of Geelong and ​Elizabeth Catherine Ellis of Germantown in equal parts.

Wellington is another long lost Settlement in the parish of Duneed. Maybe it never became a township as very little is known of it. From accounts at the time it seems to be situated near the junction of Drewry Lane, Cape Otway, Hunts and Mount Duneed Roads.
The first mention of Wellington was in the published diary of Rev James Bickford. He visited the area in January 1856 to find out if the residents of the district wanted a Wesleyan church. Services were held in the home of the Dow family until John Rout Hopkins offered land for the church to be built. This was conditional on it being built of brick or stone. Hopkins was married to Eliza, daughter of George Armytage who owned many blocks in this area. In July 1867 Rev Bickford again visited the area to select land for the church. The foundation stone for the church was laid in April 1868 and the first service was held later that year. Rev Bickford officiated at the opening service.
​In 1871 a petition was presented to Council to have the road grubbed and cleared from the chapel to Thomsons Creek.
​The last known reference to Wellington was in the council minuted in 1899. ​