Henry Squire

18 Barrabool Road, Ceres — JT Collins collection

​Henry, son of Henry and Rebecca (née Ashplant)  Squire, came to Australia on the Oregon in 1853.  His brothers, Richard, Francis and Robert and his sister Grace arrived the following year on the Champion of the Seas. He married Mary Elizabeth Carter in 1858. Henry and Richard were blacksmiths at Ceres in the 1870s and 1880s. Their forge was behind Henry's house at 18 Barrabool Road, Ceres. His cottage, made of Barrabool sandstone with a slate roof, was erected prior to 1856 for Edward Edwards. In 1862 it was sold to Joseph Townsend and Thomas Bathy.

1876 Henry Squire purchased the smithy and residence. He was a Barrabool Shire councillor, representing the Ceres riding, serving from 1876 until 1887, shire president in 1884-1885 and a justice of the peace. He involved himself in community affairs and was one of the vice presidents of the Barrabool Blue Ribbon Army in the 1880s, honorary secretary of the Barrabool Trinity church and a member of the IOR. When he retired he continued to live at Ceres. When he died in 1915 Henry Heal took over his smithy. The adjoining smithy operated until 1919, but was demolished in the 1960s. The street to the west of the cottage is now named Heal Street. 

Mary Elizabeth died on 19 September 1900 at her home 45 Austin Street Newtown. Henry died on 14 February, aged 86 years, at the home of his nephew Charles Squire of Geelong West. They were buried together in the Church of England section of the Highton Cemetery.

On 22 July 1915 a sale was held to sell Henry's properties at Ceres. The 9½ acres with a stone dwelling of about 10 rooms, known as the old Wheatsheaf Hotel sold to H E Leigh for £280 and the weatherboard cottage sold to W Francis for £53.
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from Geelong Advertiser 10 July 1915

Approximate location of Henry Squire's cottage situated on the south side of Barrabool Road. This land was part of section 12 in the parish of Barrabool originally bought by William Robertson in February 1940. ​Two days later he sold it to David Fisher who created the village of Ceres as a subdivision of 58 allotments in the north west part of section 12.

The forge

from Geelong Advertiser 16 September 1876

from Geelong Advertiser 2 March 1885

Trinity Church of England Barrabool Hills — JT Collins Collection State Library Victoria