THE EAST COAST OF PORT PHILLIP BAY, CHAPTER 2, PARISHES, PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS & JAMIESON'S SPECIAL SURVEY. :: FamilyTreeCircles.com Genealogy
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THE EAST COAST OF PORT PHILLIP BAY, CHAPTER 2, PARISHES, PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS & JAMIESON'S SPECIAL SURVEY.

Journal by itellya

This is the start of an examination of the coast south from Mornington with a focus on early settlement in incorporating later history (especially regarding the pioneer families.)

CHAPTER 2.
CIRCA 1850, OSBORNE TO THE HEADS,PARISHES,QUARANTINE, PORTUGESE AND MAORIS,THE ROSEBUD, TOWNSHIPS AND PRODUCE.
The parish of Frankston extended from Seaford Rd (the Riviera Hotel on Long Island) to Canadian Bay Rd (originally called Boundary Rd) and Eramosa Rd. The parish of Mooooduc, which adjoined it at Mt Eliza and Somerville was a battle-axe shape extending east to Jones Rd north of Tyabb Rd and only to Derril Rd to the south. It went south to Ellerina/Bruce/Foxeys Rds, where it adjoined the parish of Kangerong. The Arthurs Seat pre-emptive right was the most northerly part of the parish of Wannaeue, which also included the Tootgarook pre-emptive right and went west to Government Rd/Weeroona St, where it adjoined the parish of Nepean.

Other parishes, on the Westernport side of the Peninsula were Tyabb, Balnarring and Bittern (basically west and east of Balnarring Rd), Flinders, and Fingal (to the line of Weeroona St where it adjoined Nepean.)

Most of the early settlers in the parish of Frankston and south to Schnapper Point (Mornington)are discussed in
another of my journals, as is the Tanti Hotel, established in 1854. By this time the Township of Osborne had been proclaimed by the Government. It was named after Queen Victoria's seaside residence and the streets were named after her children. The very small Town of Mornington had also been proclaimed at Schnapper Point and having obtained a pier by the late 1850's,it went ahead while Osborne's growth stagnated. The following plan shows the larger "township of Mornington and Osborne. I had thought the "new township of Gravesend" that Robert Byrne was advertising from 1854* was the part shaded red on the plan, but it must have between Strachans and Wilsons Rds as the following, much later advertisement shows.

COMMERCIAL.
Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 - 1900) Friday 11 August 1882 p 2 Article
... and Poplar-streets,"land 383 x 100, ?127 10. Schnapper Point, Main street, land 40 x 150, ?230. ... brick,two-: storey houses on land, 34x72, ?1150. Sch napper Point, Nelson street, Gravesend, land 2G4 x ... land, lflft. Gin. x 155ft. ?820.., Sch nnppor Point, Albert street, 2 roods, 19 porches with ... 284 words

*FRIDAY, 24TH NOVEMBER.
Gravesend.
Pleasure Trip to the new Township of Gravesend, Snapper Point On Monday next, November 20th, the Gazelle
Steamer will leave Sandridge Pier for the above Township at half past eight a.m, and Williamstown at half past 9 a.m. R BYRNE invites intending purchasers etc.
(The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Monday 20 November 1854 p 3 Advertising)

Many family historians have been frustrated trying to find where the Moorooduc Cemetery was. It was the Mornington Cemetery, about which Val Wilson of the Mornington Historical Society has produced an excellent website. Moorooduc, the name of the parish, was applied to the cemetery, just as the cemetery near Hastings wascalled the Tyabb Cemetery. Craigie Rd was originally known as Cemetery Road. It is of interest that the Mornington Cemetery was first named the SPRINGS Cemetry (sic.)

Plan of villa allotments in the beautiful township of Osborne near ...
digital.slv.vic.gov.au/dtl_publish/simpleimages/13/2556365.html‎
Real property Victoria Mt Martha Maps. Mt. Martha (Vic ... Plan of villa allotments in the beautiful township of Osborne near Snapper Point [cartographic material].

PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS.
Just south of Mornington were two Runs, Mount Martha and Chechingurk. The Mount Martha Run must have been along the coast between Balcombe Creek and the Moorooduc/ Kangerong boundary at Ellerina Rd and then east to Tubbarubba. Its Pre-emptive Right was "Dalkeith" (homestead at Melway 151 C8). James Hearn acquired the grants for Dalkeith,the coastal land south to Hearn Rd and 952 acres surrounding Dalkeith, most of it in in 1856.

MOOROODUC.-Near Snapper Point, north side of Jamieson's Special Survey, at Mount Martha, on the road to the Heads. Upset price, ?1 per acre.
45 202a 2r, no offer 46 161a 1r 32p, Anthony Connell, 20S 47 114a 3r, Andrew White, 20s
48 176a 22p, Anthony Connell, 23s 49 109a 3r, Andrew White, 20s 50 186a, James Hearn, 20S
51 291a, A. B. Balcombe. 21s 52 434a, James Hearn, 20s.
(P.2, Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, 4-10-1855.)

James Hearn's purchases, above, were crown allotment 31 fronting the south side of Range Rd and crown allotment 33 between Forest Drive and the pre-emptive right. Range Rd was known as White's Lane prior to W.W.2 when troops from the Balcombe army camp used it and the Bourne dairy farm as a short cut to the rifle range. (Shirley Bourne, the female drover, was a White descendant.)See the CONNELL journal re Anthony Connell. Balcombe's purchase was crown allotment 32 between Range Rd and a parallel road which ran east from the bend in the highway in Melway 151 C3.

Extract from my journal about WILLIAM VALE AND THE TOWN OF MORNINGTON.
The History of Dalkeith appears on page 275 of the Shire of Mornington?s Heritage Study. The Mount Martha Run was occupied by Dallymore and then Aitken before James Hearn took it up. Hearn acquired the pre-emptive right as well as over 1100 acres between Hearn and Bay Rds and 850 acres to the west, north and east of the P.R. The last of these allotments, 29A, encompassed the Tubbarubba diggings.

CHECHINGURK was first settled by Captain Reid who settled soon after Edward Hobson and Maurice Meyrick, who will be discussed later. He was the man who suggested that Dr Barker and Meyrick should settle their dispute with Victoria's second duel. As the plaque on the water fountain in Mornington's Empire Mall attests, the site of Mornington was part of the Run which was taken over by Alexander Beatson Balcombe. Balcombe also received grants for all the land fronting the south side of Beleura Hill Rd, which was probably the northern boundary of the Run. Balcombe called his pre-emptive right The Briars after the farm on which he grew up and Napoleon Bonaparte was a guest during his imprisonment.

Jamieson's Special Survey was part of the Kangerong run settled by Edward Hobson. I have never seen its boundaries on a map. He was one of the first settlers on the peninsula, along with Jamieson at Cape Schanck but probably only stayed there for a year or two before settling further west at Tootgarook. Squatters were very alert to newcomers settling near them and often spread rumours of aboriginal atrocities to scare them off.

Robinson* did point the finger squarely at pastoralists themselves in a later
observation. They spread rumours about native outrages in order to deter new
squatters from settling in their districts and claiming some of country hitherto
theirs to use. It worked like this: after the NSW Order in Council of 7 October
1847 anyone who could find a bit of country situated between neighbours who
had to be five miles from where you proposed to sit down, could simply squat
and pay the annual licence fee to the Commissioner of Crown Lands when he
called annually to assess and collect the fee, which was ten pounds for the
licence, and so much per head for stock. Robinson recorded that it was ?common
practice to raise cry against the blacks to keep people from country?
(Pages 76-7, I SUCCEEDED ONCE.) *Robinson was the Chief Aboriginal Protector.

But Hobson raised no objection when assistant aboriginal protector, William Thomas set up his first protectorate about a mile to the east of his homestead. The aborigines had two other encampments nearby, one near Hobson's homestead and another near the Drive-In site.

A quote from I SUCCEEDED ONCE. (Available online.)
I was actually looking for the author, Marie Hansen Fel's, attribution of the harmonious relationship between the Boon-wurrung and settlers to the example set by Edward Hobson but found these descriptions of the squatters and the Arthurs Seat Run instead.

The character of the squatters on the Mornington
Peninsula
It was a fact that the Aborigines of the Port Phillip District, the Bonurong and the
Warworong were attracted to, and actually cultivated, high status Europeans
? gentlemen ? and that they despised convicts. From the vantage point of
a meritocracy such as our own society, it requires a real effort to understand
how taken-for-granted were the manners, mores and attitudes of a class-based
society. It so happens that most of the names of squatters on the Mornington
Peninsula in 1839?40, who feature in Thomas? journals, also appear in Paul
de Serville?s appendixes of Gentlemen by Birth (titled, landed or armigerous
families), Gentlemen in Society (profession, commission and upbringing) or
Colonists claiming gentle birth and accepted by other gentlemen as gentlemen.
Edward Hobson and his brother, Dr Edmund Hobson (Kangerong), the brothers
Archibald, Hugh and Thomas Bushby Jamieson (Kangerong Special Survey),
Robert Jamieson (Cape Schanck), Samuel Rawson (Kunnung with Robert
Jamieson), Captain Reid (Tichingurook), Captain Baxter (Carup Carup), Alfred
and Maurice Meyrick (Boniong), Henry Howard Meyrick (Coolart), the Barker
brothers (Barrabong and Cape Schanck), and George Smith (Turtgoorook) living
with a woman believed by Melbourne society to be a niece by marriage of the
great Captain William Hobson RN, were all gentlemen in terms of one or other
of de Serville?s categories. (P.19, I SUCCEEDED ONCE.)

On P.20 the youthfulness of the squatters is stressed.
Edward Hobson was 22; Henry Howard Meyrick was 17; brother Alfred was
19; cousin Maurice 20 (and Maurice was said to be an initiated man); Samuel
Rawson was 19; George Desailley was 17; his brother Francis junior 19; the
Barker brothers were 22 and 24; the Jamieson brothers were in their twenties;
only the two military men, Captain Reid and Captain Baxter, and George Smith
were mature adults. And contrary to what is commonly believed, George
Smith came down to the Mornington Peninsula not to Rye initially, but to
Buckkermitterwarrer (Drive-In site and Kangerong, and when he came, it was with a solid
three year relationship of reciprocity already built up with Benbow, father of
Mary, father also of Yankee Yankee.

JAMIESON'S SPECIAL SURVEY.
It has been said that this Special Survey of 1841 did not displace Edward Hobson as he'd already moved to Tootgarook. I get the impression that Marie Fels disagrees. Henry Dunn leased the Survey (and apparently the Mt Martha Run too, according to Leslie Moorhead in one of the school histories)from 1846 to 1851. From that time,it was leased to the first settlers in the Dromana area most of whom became stalwarts of the local community. See my journals about SAFETY BEACH, SARAH WILSON, GEORGE YOUNG, ANTHONY CONNELL etc.

The following extract from my journal SAFETY BEACH AND THE SURVEY NEAR DROMANA has been included here in support of the proposition that Captain Adams may have settled in the area before 1857, leaving Eliza at Wattle Place (Adams'Corner) while he traded across the sea.

Jamieson did not spend much time on his survey but enough to have social contact with other early settlers such as Captain Reid (on what became Balcolme's The Briars)and the McCraes on the Arthur's Seat Run. Somebody who did live there was Mrs Newby. On 15-2-1844, Captain Reid and his wife, Hugh Jamieson and Georgiana McCrae and hubby, Andrew, visited the Survey, meeting Mrs Newby and her two daughters. Mrs Newby complained of loneliness during Captain Newby's absences at sea. On 27-7-1845,Andrew told Georgiana about the three Newby children drowning. (P. 30 A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.) Was this true? Yes!

SHIPWRECKS. LOSS OF THE MARY. By the steamer Shamrock, which arrived here on Sunday, the distressing intelligence has been received of the total wreck of the barque Mary, Captain Newby, from this port to London in Bass's Straits; and we are sorry to add that no less than seventeen of her passengers have perished. The Mary left Sydney for London on the 19th of May, having on board 69 souls, including the crew, and a very valuable cargo. It was intended by the owners that she should proceed by the usual course round Cape Horn, and the Mary stood away to the southward for that purpose, but when she was off Cape Howe, the wind being at east south-east, with every appearance of a continuance from the same quarter, Captain Newby determined to attempt the westerly passage, notwithstanding the unpromising time of the year, and accordingly stood into Bass's Straits for that purpose. On the morning of the 24th May, the Mary was off Wilson's Promontory, when the wind suddenly died away, and at 10 A. M. a strong breeze sprung up from the northwest, and gradually increased to a gale with heavy rain. Thinking he had now got into a westerly wind, the captain determined to give up the westerly passage, and accordingly bore up and ran to the southward of Sir Roger Curtis' and Kent's Groups. At 6 P. M. he estimated the ship's position to be five miles south of the body of Kent's Group, fixed her course at east by north, and having been up the two previous nights, the captain went to bed, there being then a breeze from the north- west, which was sending the ship seven knots per hour. The chief mate had the watch from 8 to 12; about 11 he called the captain, saying he thought " land was handy ;" but upon the captain going upon deck, he could not see any land, and found that it was almost a calm. Broken water, however, was soon discovered off the lee beam,and a strong current was rapidly driving the ship towards it. There was no wind to make the ship answer her helm, she refused stays and drove broadside onto the rock. She first touched on the starboard bilge, then under the fore chains, and immediately parted abaft the foremast, the bows slipping off the rock into deep water; she then struck abaft, unshipped her rudder, and the topsides floated off the bottom,over the reef into smooth water. In seven minutes from the time she struck, the ship was in pieces. The most melancholy part remains to be told. Seventeen women and children were drowned and what is most extraordinary is, that not a mast was lost. Those drowned were-three of Captain Newby's daughters; six children of Mrs. Evans; Augusta and Catherine, daughters of Captain Collins, of Illawarra ; Mrs Heather, and two children, Mrs. Grey, Mrs. Turnbull, and Sarah Foulkes, servant to Mrs. Collins. How the remainder were saved we cannot understand. Captain Newby only remarks," we were saved in the long boat in the most wonderful manner." The above parties were lost in consequence of the upsetting of the whale boat, into which they had been lowered, but it has not been ascertained how this accident occurred. The reef upon which the Mary was lost lies to the north east of a rock described in the Australian Directory as Wright's rock, about three and a half miles, and is known to the sealers who visit Furneaux's Island as the north east or deep reef. etc.
(P.3, Mornington Chronicle, Sydney, 25-6-1845.)

AS I'VE JUST FOUND INFORMATION ABOUT PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS WHILE RESEARCHING "POINT NEPEAN" IN THE 1840'S ON TROVE, I'VE DECIDED TO INSERT IT HERE, AFTER THE SURVEY, AT THE END OF MY "PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS" ENTRY.
The information was on page 4 of the Argus on Saturday 4th and Monday 6th in August, 1849. I have included some pre-emptive rights that were not on the oriental coast of Port Phillip Bay because I do not intend to include them in another journal. None of the parishes had been named at this time.

The Barkers had two leases, the Cape Schanck P.R. in the parish of Flinders and the Boniyong P.R. in Wannaeue and bounded by Boneo, Browns, Grasslands (now closed) and Limestone Rds. The King Run was probably the parish of Tyabb but the family name is recalled by the street in Flinders. Graham Whitehead's City of Kingston website mentions a squatting King family that was the origin of the city's name and may have been related. It is possible that George Smith's lease was the Tootgarook pre-emptive right. Edward Hobson was on "Traralgon" by this stage and may have transferred the lease to his (de facto) father in law.

The Tootgarook run had several names and Wooloowoolooboolook might have been one of them. Charles Hollinshed (LIME LAND LEISURE) speculated the James Purves might have been managing the Tootgarook Run; I'm not sure exactly when Smith took an aboriginal boy to America but he was probably not on his lease full-time anyway
(and as I've explained elsewhere,it was more likely that PETER Purves, who coined the name Tootgarook, would have been the manager.)Lastly, Robert White was Irish and completely unrelated to the Scottish Whites of Rosebud and Red Hill. His 640 acres would have been in the parish of Nepean, west of Government Rd/Weeroona St,perhaps nearer to Sorrento. The Irish Whites are discussed in my journal about THE WHITES OF SORRENTO AND RYE and the Scottish Whites in my journal about HILL HILLIS AND HIS RELATIVES.

Superintendent's Office, Melbourne, 8th August, 1849.
CROWN LANDS BROUGHT WITHIN THE SETTLED DISTRICTS.
(requiring payment of rent for approved selections under pre-emption.) His Excellency the Governor directs it to be notified, for the information of all persons concerned, that in pursuance of the 22nd Clause of the Regu-lations of 29th March, 1848, His Excellency has been pleased to approve of the Claims which have been made by the parties enumerated in the annexed list, to the pre-emptive right to Leases of the several portions of Land referred to.
2. It is necessary that the rent, viz., Twenty Shillings per section of 640 acres, for the remainder of the present year, for the Lands in question, be paid into the Sub-Treasury, at, Melbourne, within one month from the present date : in default of which the Leases of the Lands will, in accordance with the 26th Clause of the Regulations, be put up to sale by auction.
By His Excellency's Command, C. J. LA TROBE.

COUNTY OF MORNINGTON.
Number, Name, Address, Lot No., Acres, Parish size?, Situation.
2. Alex Balcombe, Melbourne, 1, 640, 4790 ac., Pt Phillip Bay.
3. John Barker, Cape Schanck, 1, 640, 16x640 ac, Western Port Bay.
4. John Barker, -------- ditto,-- 1, 640, 12x640 ac.,-----ditto.
8. Owen Cain, Dandenong! ---, 1, 640, Point Nepean (Only lot in parish.)
14, James Davey, no address, 1, 640, 4x640 ac lots?, not given.
17. Martha Jane King, W'port, 1, 640, 5x640?, Westernport.
19. Andrew M.McCrae, ArthursSeat, 1, 640, 3x640?, Sth of Kang. Survey.
35. George Smith, Pt. Nepean, 1, 640, 30x640, Port Phillip Bay.
36. Daniel Sullivan, Pt. Nepean, 1, 640, 4x640, Pt. Phillip Bay.
37. Richard Tonks,--- Point King,----- 1, only lot, Port Phillip Bay.
38. Henry Tuck, Manton's Creek, 1, 10x640, Westernport Bay.
41. Robert White, Pt Nepean, 1, 640,5x640, Port Phillip Bay.
N.B. The column headed Parish size? should probably be size of run. For example, Andrew McCrae,John Barker (Boneo) and George Smith were all in Wannaeue, John Barker and Henry Tuck on the western and eastern part of Flinders, and Dennis Sullivan, Robert White and Richard Tonks all in the parish of Nepean. I would have to check whether James Davey's P.R.* was on the Kannanuke Run (near Davey's Bay) or the Ballanrong Run just east of Mornington, at that time.

*James Davey was on Ballanrong. (P.3,Sydney Morning Herald, 28-10-1848.)

by itellya Profile | Research | Contact | Subscribe | Block this user
on 2013-09-08 22:45:04

Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.

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