THE PIONEERING CRICHTON FAMILY OF BONEO, VIC., AUST.
I'm hoping this will submit if I paste it bit by bit.
THE PIONEERING CRICHTON FAMILY OF BONEO, VIC., AUST.
(Start of a new journal yet to be submitted.)
This journal came about because of my CHRONOLOGY OF BURIALS AT DROMANA CEMETERY journal. Journals have surname lists but the chronology will not have one because there isn't sufficient capacity for all the surnames that will be involved. By writing this journal, I will be able to mention all the surnames involved up to the birth names of John Crichton Snr's grandchildren, including several pioneering Peninsula families. The descendants of Alexander McLellan (or McLennan?), grantee of crown allotments 1 and 2, parish of Moorooduc, about 446 acres bounded by Moorooduc, Eramosa, Derril and Bungower Rds, will be surprised to find that he was an executor of Thomas Ormiston Martin. Readers will be directed to a valuable source of information about James Smith Adams Snr and Jnr.
The article about the reunion of David Maynard Crichton's descendants in 2015 gives the impression that he was the first member of the family at Boneo and John Crichton Snr's obituary in 1885 gives the impression that he had only two children. James Crichton has compiled a fabulous genealogy of the the family which explains why John Crichton Jnr's death notice in 1934 did not mention his wife and children. Above all this journal is needed to show that Maurice Meyrick, the Barker brothers and the Cairns family were not the only early pioneers of Boneo.
Boneo Cricket Club has a long history and J.Crichton was one of its players in 1894. The Crichtons were renowned as cheese makers and the Boneo (Butter/ Cream?) Factory was on land donated by the family. Hickory gave due prominence to the Crightons in his 1916 article.
P.6, THE AUSTRALASIAN, 19-2-1916.
THE BONEO DISTRICT.
By HICKORY.
AWAITING DEVELOPMENTS.
Regarded from the Beach road, which skirts the coast between Rosebud and Rye,the country inland would be summed up as being about as hungry-looking as anything in Victoria—just the country to give any amount of scope for improvement. That improvement of this class of soil has been effected by means of melilotus is an oft-told tale, both concerning Victoria and King Island. Turning off te Beach road a mile from Rosebud township into the Schanck road, and rising over the sand hummocks, there opens out a wide expanse of much better country, known as Boneo. This district was formerly well timbered, of which little now remains, though something has been done to replace those destroyed by planting pines (P. Lambertiana is represented by some noble specimens), and other imported forest trees. (The pine plantation was destroyed by fire and was the one of three option chosen for the site of the Rosebud Club by a committee of three including a Crichton -"Bogies and Birdies.")
The bulk of the land is a friable sandy loam, well furnished with lime, and, being blessed with an abundant
rainfall, it is capable, with proper treatment, of growing almost anything. The country is undulating, and is contained onthe east by the range running from Arthur'sSeat, by a group of sand hills of curious shape stretching right back to the sea coast, on the south and west; and on the north by the sand hummocks skirting this portion of Port Phillip. As can be imagined, inside these elevations, water can easily be found by sinking, the depth varying from 2ft. to 30ft., and windmills are a feature of the landscape. Other features are
bracken and rabbits, against which a few owners are battling by systematic cultivation and by wire netting; but the district as a whole is capable of great improvement, and should carry a much larger population.
Farms vary in size, from 80 acres to 500 acres, on which mixed farming—grazing, cropping, and dairying—are carried out, and the crops of maize, rape, wheat, potatoes, and stacks of oaten hay give some indication of the district's capabilities and resources which await further development. On present indications there should be great profit in sheep breeding here, particularly in summer lambs, for rearing which crops can be grown with little trouble, so that only small areas are necessary. Developed to its greatest capacity, this district will need port improvement, and a line of small, fast steamships, such as carry on the channel trade in southern Tasmania.
THE MORASS
Distinct from the undulating sandy loam is a strip of country formerly a swamp, but since converted by private enterprise into a rich peaty flat, suitable for rape, potatoes, onions—all vegetables, in fact—maize, and the many other products of a temperate climate. The owners through whose properties the swamp ran employed an engineer, and excavated a large drain at a cost of £1,200, into which side drains discharge, the water eventually flowing into the bay between Rosebud and Rye. The expense of draining has been divided amongst the owners in proportion to the acreage drained for each. A syndicate has bought about 90 acres of this rich
soil, with a view to onion-growing; and, judging by the specimens raised by Mr.Jensen on this land, it should prove a profitable venture.
This gentleman owns 600 acres*, mainly drained swamp, and has tried out a number of varied crops on the rich soil, comparable to the best on Koo wee-rup. After draining the land the tussocks were grubbed out by hand at a cost of from 25/ to 30/ per acre. These were burned, and the land straightway cultivated with a three-furrow disc plough, with which five horses can turn over three acres per day. Then the land was harrowed and rolled. The cultivation was commenced in August, and in October 45 acres were sown with rape and mustard at the rate of 4 1b.rape seed, half lb. mustard seed, and 40 1b. special manure. The crop at the time of my visit was a splendid one, 3ft. high in pieces, and showing a mass of succulent feed, on which 50 head of cattle and from
300 to 600 sheep, put in in December and changed on and off to grass land every few days, had made no impression.
Potatoes and onions have given good yields on this great land, six to seven tons per acre of the former and three to four tons per acre of the latter, with no manure, being the results from the first crops. Both tuber-crops yielded fine samples, which realised topprices in the Melbourne market. Test plots of rye grass, white cloven alsike clover, and lucerne show fine growth. Three crops of lucerne hay can be reckoned on this first
season, but at 4 1b. per acre it was sown too thinly to give a great bulk of fodder.
The balance of the cleared land has been sown broadcast with melilot to clean and sweeten it. This will make a good preparatory crop for lucerne; but the ground is too valuable to be used for melilot, which has grown
well and afforded plenty of feed. On leased land, in the higher sandy loam country, Mr. Jensen put in 140 acres of Algerian oats, sowing at the rate of two bushels per acre, with 701b. of super, and bonedust.On land cropped for 40 years a yield of from 25cwt. to 30cwt. per acre was cut. Last year, during the drought, hay was supplied from this district to the metropolis. A nice crop of maize is growing here, though I was assured that last year
the crops were much better. Hickory King is the favourite variety, and is grown mainly for the grain which is ted to fowls and pigs.
The sheep kept are crossbred ewes, with which Shropshire rams are joined at the beginning of February. Lambing takes place in June and July, and the lambs are ready for market about Christmas.
GLENLEE FARM.
Mr. John Crichton is farming 440 acres, part of which is drained swamp. Dairying is the main objective, the maximum number of cows being 55, of which 40 are being milked at the present time. Formerly cheese-making was carried on, but now the milk is separated, a carrier picking up the cream and taking it to the railway station at Mornington five days a week. The cows are Ayrshires and Ayrshire crosses, bulls of the Buchanan* strain being always used, the present head of the herd being the fourth from that source.
(*The Buchanans of Berwick and Flinders were second only to the McNabs of Tullamarine in the establishment of the Tasmanian Ayrshire herd.)
THE BIT BY BIT ADDITIONS WORKED WELL FOR A TIME BUT NOW A SMALLISH PARAGRAPH WILL NOT SUBMIT, SO MORE LATER.
I'll try to continue in comment boxes.
on 2016-06-01 19:53:42
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.
Comments
The rest of Hickory's article was pasted here but did not submit.
In case I never get around to submitting the rest of Hickory's article and the rest of the Crichton journal, they can be found on the PIONEERS OF THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA Facebook page whose link is:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/166732273672861/
1. June 1 at 10:49pm
THE PIONEERING CRICHTON FAMILY OF BONEO, VIC., AUST.
(Start of a new journal yet to be submitted.)
2. May 31 at 10:13pm
Do not delete until added to new journal.
21-1-1885. JOHN CRICHTON OF GLEN LEE, BONEO.