John Thomas Edney

John Thomas, son of William Henry and Jane (née Heard) Edney was born on 18 August 1875 at Ceres. He married Caroline Tweeddale on 24 February 1904 at Leopold near Geelong. Caroline was born on 8 July 1880 at 7 Clarke Street, Newtown Geelong. She was the daughter of Henry Pythagoras and Annie (née Dawes) Tweeddale.

John and Caroline initially purchased a property at Colac but only stayed for a year. They then moved to Mount Duneed to get a more suitable climate for John's health.  They purchased a farm from William Preston. As the property was only 76 acres John took up share farming with Andrew White, an adjacent property owner, and grew grain until he developed a heart condition. In 1908 the family moved to Elcho Park in Lara where John leased land for mixed farming. When William retired from his farm "Clifton" in 1911, John and his family moved into the house and took over the running of the property. The property was sold in 1914 and the family moved to a 38 acre property at Mount Duneed.

In 1923 John was advised his that mountain air would be more suitable for his health, and so the property was sold and a clearing sale held on 18 March 1924. On the advice of his cousin, Walter Edney, the family moved to Yackandandah. Here they suffered two droughts, and the farm, which had a large orchard, became a failure. In 1937 John and Caroline went to live with their daughter Murial and son-in-law Walter at Ballantyre at Drysdale. John grew onions on the property until he retired. After the war they retired to Ocean Grove where they established a small market garden on a property he purchased consisting of 3 blocks on the corner of Orton Street and Barwon Heads Road.

The Edney house in Mount Duneed Road — contributed by Russ Preston

​Obituary of John Edney, grandfather of John Thomas — from Geelong Advertiser 14 March 1902

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John died on 18 October 1945 aged 70 years at his home in Highton and was buried in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. Caroline died on 23 January 1965 at the Geelong Hospital and was buried with him.