John Brock Pioneer of Bolinda Vale MT Macedon and Janefield Upper Plenty Victoria Australia

Postscript, 7-3-2020.
NEIL BROCK, A DESCENDANT OF THE EARLY PIONEER AND ELDER BROTHER OF PETER GEOFFREY BROCK, THE KING OF BATHURST, IS WORKING ON A FAMILY HISTORY AND HAS SUPPLIED ME WITH GENEALOGICAL FILES, STARTING WITH THE BROCK ANCESTRY FROM THE 1600'S, COMMISSIONED BY A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY TREE AND COMPILED BY A GENEALOGIST IN EDINBURG IN 1913. USING THIS NEIL HAD DETAILED GENEALOGICAL DETAILS ABOUT THE EARLY VICTORIAN SETTLER'S DESCENDANTS TO THE FIFTH GENERATION. NEIL WAS ASKED TO CHECK WHAT I HAD WRITTEN IN THE JOURNAL TO THAT STAGE AND HAS GRACIOUSLY DONE SO.
His comments are added to my journal in bold italics.

John Brock was one of Victoria's earliest pioneers but seems to have been only mentioned in passing on the PASTORAL PIONEERS OF PORT PHILLIP website. The VICTORIAN PLACES pages for JANEFIELD and BUNDOORA seem to have genealogical errors concerning the origin of the naming of Janefield. Both say it was named after the wife of James Brock in 1847 (Janefield page)and 1851 (re Janefield on the Bundoora page.) The only Victorian BDM marriage record for James Brock between 1835 and 1851 states that James married Charlotte French in 1845. Jane Brock, supposedly the wife of John's son James, (according to the BUNDOORA page) who died in 1851 was the wife of William Thomas Brock and died at Beveridge.
James Millar Brock was John Brock's youngest son. He married
Jane Hill "“ details in info I sent you. Jane Hill's aunt (Catherine) married
John Brock following the death of his wife Jean (Jane).

BROCK James, Marriage, FRENCH, Charlotte, 1845, 1870/1845 (also 34150/1845.)
# (nothing to do with us)

BROCK Jane, Death, parents' names:Unknown, place of death:MERCERS VALE (i.e. Beveridge)
spouse at death:BROCK, William Thomas
# It is just "Thomas" Brock, (John
Brock's younger brother) first married Jane Mathews - details in info Isent you
age, year, 2nd reg. no. (28, 1851, 33651/1851)

Janefield was so named in 1848!
It is assumed that John Brock had been forced off his run near Mt Macedon in 1850 by W.J.T.Clarke's special survey but he may have moved to Janefield by 1848. John moved close by still in the Romsey
vicinity -never to Janefield. He did have property there as well as a Flour mill (Coulstock's) on the Plenty River.
If not, Janefield was thus not named after his late wife, Jane. # I have no evidence that Janefield was named after any Jane Brock.John Brock's wife Jean Simpson was also known as Jane. Her death Cert. says Jane. Her tombstone says Jean and her wedding Cert says Jean. One granddaughter was Jean Simpson Brock whereas a second granddaughter was named Jane Simpson Brock. Clearly she was referred to as both. I
have Jean as preeminent and Jane as "aka".

Jane's death notice* in 1847 states that her given names were Jane Simpson and that she died at Bolanda Vale.# Pastoral Pioneers of Port Phillip, Billis and Kenyon refers to Bullanda Vale and Bolinda Vale as one and the same.I have wondered whether their home was referred to as "Bolanda Vale" whereas the pastoral run was "Bullanda Vale". But to confuse things further the family bible(hand written) states that the Brock-Clarke marriage took place at Bullanda Vale, Victoria
Her death was registered twice, take 2 changing the place of death from this to Bolinda Vale.

On the 16th ... at Bolanda Vale, Jane Simpson, wife of John Brock, Esq.

BROCK Jane, Death, names of parents:Unknown
place of death:BOLINDA VALE MOUNT MACEDON
spouse at death: BROCK, Unknown
age , year, 2nd reg.no. (51, 1847, 33584/1847)

It is ironic that one of John and Jane Brock's sons married a daughter of Lewis Clarke, brother of William John Turner "Big" Clarke whose special survey swallowed Bolinda Vale.

Obituary - Lewis Clarke - Obituaries Australia
oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/clarke-lewis-15073
Clarke, Lewis (?"“1858)

On the 22nd inst., at his residence, Roseneath House, Essendon, Lewis Clarke, Esq., brother of the Honorable W. J. T. Clarke, an old colonist, much respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, leaving a widow and family to mourn the loss of a kind husband and affectionate father.
Original publication
Argus (Melbourne), 23 December 1858, p 4 (view original)

MARRIED.
By special license, at the residence of the bride's father, on the 28th inst, by the Rev. Irving Hetherington, Alex. Brock, third son of John Brock, Esq., of Melbourne, to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Lewis Clarke, Esq., of Bolinda-vale. (P.8, Argus, 1-7-1853.)

John and Jane's eldest son,Henry, was married in 1847, shortly before Jane's death.
Family Notices
The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848) Saturday 1 May 1847 p 2 Family Notices
... son of John Brock, Esq., of Ballanda Vale, Mount Macedon, to Margaret, second daughter of Patrick Reid . # .Ballanda Vale -yet another spelling!

I AM EXPECTING TO SOON RECEIVE BROCK GENEALOGY BACK TO SCOTLAND IN THE 1600'S.
LOOK OUT FOR MORE!

with fair confidence, I've just added GAMBLE to the surnames list.

AITKEN COLLEGE
Aitken College opened in Term 1 of 1999, and has remained steadfast in maintaining its historic and agricultural links.

The College name (Aitken) has links to John* Aitken, who immigrated to Van Diemans Land from Scotland in about 1825. He sailed across the Tasman to the Port Phillip district in 1836, bringing his sheep across to graze on pasture land in the outer limits of the area north of Melbourne. Up until the purchase of the College property from the Gambles in late 1998, the property was still a working farm.

*The history of the school, of which the above is the start, was copied from the internet before it was removed, possibly because I had contacted the school to cast doubt on the school having been named after JOHN Aitken. My journalabout the school contains more of the history, evidence that the names of the school,the hill on the historic Dunhelen property and the reserve and creek near Craigieburn, actually honour David Scott Aitken, and genealogical information about Desmond Gamble.

The farm purchased in 1998 was named BROCKLANDS by Desmond Gamble. It was the northern half of a farm called Springfield between Mickleham Rd and today's Greenvale reservoir (roughly Melway 178 K 3,4 and 179 A 3,4.) The southern half of Springfield became Wal French's dairy farm, hence the name of French Rd.

I had taught Timothy Gamble at Gladstone Primary School and his mother Merna, who was aware of my research into the area's history, told me that it was named after John Brock of Janefield. Then she put me in contact with a relative who was researching the Gamble history and supplied the following information.

Springfield became Springfield North and Wally French's dairy farm ON THE SOUTH HALF. Desmond Gamble's wife was a descendant of early squatter, John Brock who, like the Jacksons, Headlam, George Evans and many others,was dispossessed by Big Clarke's special survey circa 1850 and became a pioneer of the area near Latrobe University. When he bought Springvale North, he renamed it BROCKLANDS. In 1933, Edward and Jean Gamble were pupils of Greenvale State School 890 at the Section Rd corner.Did not know about "Brocklands"

Desmond Gamble, the second youngest in his family, was raised at Barfold near Kyneton and went to Dookie College where his brother, Willie from Berwick was principal and then managed a farm in Plenty Rd, South Morang. In 1915 at the age of 28, he married May Isobel Brock. Desmond died at the age of 57 and was buried at the Fawkner Cemetery. His sons, Bill and Ted carried on the milking of 100 cows to supply Cheffers and Collings' dairy at the corner of Scott and Buckley St, Essendon. They also supplied Butterworth's dairy at the corner of Winifred and Glass St in Essendon. Jean Gamble married Jack Simmie of Harpsdale after they'd shouted love* at each other during many sets at the Greenvale Tennis Club (*the score meaning the egg shaped 0 of course!) Nine years later Ted Gamble married Joy Simmie. Helen Gamble who supplied much of this biography in about 1990 married Ken Souter* at the outbreak of W.W.2 ON 2-9-1939. Ken was Principal of Parklands Primary School in Airport West when he retired. The Souters were farming John McKerchar's "Greenvale" which Robert Millar renamed as "The Elms" circa 1990.

All information about locations of farms and the Gambles comes from the G volume of my DICTIONARY HISTORY OF TULLAMARINE AND MILES AROUND.

DESMOND'S MARRIAGE REPORT. (EXTRACTS.)
Family Notices
Evelyn Observer and Bourke East Record (Vic. : 1902 - 1917) Friday 3 September 1915 p 3
WEDDING.
MR. DESMOND GAMBLE TO MISS
MAY ISABEL BROCK.
" Two souls with but one thought,
Two hearts that beat as one."
A quiet but very pretty wedding was celebrated on Wednesday, August 11th,at "Green Hills," Bundoora, the commodious and well-appointed residence of Mr and Mrs William Clarke Brock,the bride being Miss May Isabel
Brock, Mr and Mrs Brock's only daughter, and the bridegroom, Mr Desmond Gamble, of" Myee," Epping,son of Mrs Edward Gamble, and the late Mr Edward Gamble, of Barfold,near Kyneton. The wedding was semi private, only the more intimate relatives being present. The Rev.Douglas Bruce, Presbyterian Minister,of Whittlesea, to whose congregation at Janefield both young people belonged, was the officiating clergyman.

One speaker, playing on the bridegroom's surname, remarked that,although marriage was regarded by most people as a gamble, with love as the thrower of the dice, in this case the happiness of both was a dead certainty. (This does not contribute to my confidence that the Gambles belong in the early squatter's family tree but I couldn't resist its inclusion because that's the type of corny joke I specialise in!)

Gifts.
Mr. and Mrs Lewis Brock-cheque.
Mr Alec Brock#(younger brother of William Clarke Brock)-silver candlesticks.
(A fair indication of the bride being a descendant of Alexander Brock and Elizabeth nee Clarke, daughter of Lewis Clarke, who married in 1853, as is the name of the bride's father, William Clarke Brock.)

WAS THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE THE SON OF ALEXANDER BROCK AND ELIZABETH, NEE CLARKE? Yes!

BROCK William Joseph Clark*, Birth
mother: Elizabeth, nee CLARKE
father: Alexander
place of birth:PRESTON
year, reg. no.(1866, 17162/1866)
(* Should be Clarke.#)

And this would be his elder brother who gave the happy couple a cheque.

BROCK, Lewis Clarke, Birth
mother: Elizabeth, nee CLARKE
father: Alexander
place of birth:DAREBIN CK
year, reg.no. (1858, 10322/1858)

MAY ISABEL BROCK who married Desmond Gamble was therefore:
the daughter of William Clarke Brock and Elizabeth Fowler, nee Warner* who married in 1886;
the grand daughter of Alexander Brock and Elizabeth, nee Clarke;
the great grand daughter of John and Jane Simpson (nee?) Brock.

*MARRIAGE OF MAY ISABEL'S PARENTS.

BROCK William Joseph Clark, Marriage, WARNER, Elizabeth Fowler, 1886, 5051/1886

THERE WERE APPARENTLY MANY PIONEERS NAMED JOHN BROCK AND I AM NOT PREPARED TO GAMBLE THAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED THE RIGHT ONE. It would be best to wait for the email from John Brock, a fellow member of the HISTORY OF FLINDERS-CRIB POINT Facebook group, who is sending the Brock genealogy compiled by his cousin.

One died # This John is ours in 1856 at 14 Stephen St,# (Stephen Street is
now Exhibition St) Melbourne after having married Catherine Murray (nee
Hill) in 1849 (2239/1849), two years after the death of Jane Simpson Brock at Bolinda Vale.His widow later remarried. # Joseph Donaldson

Unless the squatter had a son named John (of Janefield) who stood for the seat of North Bourke in 1856 (highly unlikely as his eldest son, Henry, did not marry until 1847), I am prepared to gamble that the former squatter did not die in 1856.# John Brock (1796-1856) died 6 th Nov 1856 (have D Cert)
Just as well nobody asked me to put my money where my mouth was, because I was wrong. See SORTING OUT THE JOHN BROCKS, No.1, The Squatter, below.

John Pascoe Fawkner was a crusader, especially against the squattocracy. It has been often stated that he had a run himself in the Pascoe Vale-Coburg area but this seems to be as wrong as claims that the Camerons had a run in the Glenroy area. Fawkner obtained many grants in the area but no proof of a run has been found. However Richard Broome, a great and trustworthy historian, revealed in his BETWEEN TWO CREEKS, a history of the City of Coburg, that the slightly hypocritical J.F.P. (who started land cooperatives so his beloved yoeman farmers could buy small farms) had actually been a squatter. Richard stated that little Johnnie's run was near the present town of Monegeetta whose name was a corruption of the run's name.

There were often quarrels between squatters because of vague boundaries between runs and such disputes would be settled by land commissioners, one of whom was Major St John, the grantee of section 23 Doutta Galla (today's Strathmore Heights to Strathmore North)directly south across the Moonee Ponds Creek from J.F.P.'s Belle Vue Park. St John was amenable to bribes and Fawkner slammed his corruption. Having been found guilty of libel, Fawkner was fined a few shilling and St John left the colony in disgrace.

Richard Broome gave me the impression that the depression of 1843, which almost ruined Fawkner, signalled the end of his occupancy of his run which must have adjoined John Brock's Bolinda Vale.

N.B. The name of the WESTERNPORT squatting district is very confusing. It included runs as far north as Mt Alexander near Castlemaine and all properties in between.

CROWN LANDS BEYOND THE SETTLED DISTRICTS

See WESTERNPORT, Nos.19, 47, 48, 192.
Fawkner was still on MOONEEJETTA and John Brock was still on BULLANDA VALE. Caveats may have been lodged because of boundary disputes, because the applicant was not occupying the run or because the person lodging the caveat considered that he had a right to claim the run. Steele*, after whom Steele Creek (running from Annandale Rd, Tullamarine to the Maribyrnong at Melway 27J4) was named, was along with Big Clarke, a major grantee of land near John Brock and Fawkner's runs, where he'd established a run by 1840.

*From my review Of Christine Laskowski's STEELE CREEK AND THE LADY OF THE LAKE.
M.Steel was living at Steel Creek (near Tullamarine) in 1841. In 1840, Richard Cooke had a depasturing licence for Mr Steele's Horse Station, b]Westernport[/b] on the Deep Creek in the parish of Darraweit Guim.

DARRAWEIT GUIM PARISH. To inspect the map, google DARRAWEIT GUIM, COUNTY OF BOURKE.
Michael Steel was the grantee of sections 26-29, a total of 1877 acres on the west side of Saltwater River (Deep Creek)and at the north west corner of the parish. W.J.T.(Big) Clarke was the grantee of about three quarters of the parish.

THE SCOTCH CHURCH AT JANEFIELD, IN WHICH DESMOND GAMBLE AND ISABEL MAY BROCK WERE MARRIED IN 1915, PROBABLY SAT ON TWO ACRES DONATED BY JOHN BROCK SIXTY YEARS EARLIER.
JANEFIELD."”On Friday last a meeting was held, in the Scotch School, for the purpose of electing trustees to manage the property of a church and school intended to be erected at Janefield. Subscription lists were opened for the immediate erection of a new schoolhouse, and £126 was at once subscribed by five of the
gentlemen present. John Brock, Esq., proprietor of the estate, has liberally and gratuitously granted two acres of ground for the above purposes.(P.5, Argus, 3-5-1855.)

SORTING OUT THE JOHN BROCKS.
1.THE SQUATTER.
No 25 April 1980 - State Library of Victoria
www3.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-25/t1-g-t4.html

John Brock arrived in Victoria in 1835 and settled near what is now [i]Romsey (Bolinda)* Diggers' Rest. In 1837 he took the Bullanda Vale Run, and by his death in 1856 had added several other properties to his holdings. These papers relate mainly to his estate and to the family and business affairs of his son Alexander, in particular his many properties around ...

• N.B. It is likely that John had copied my journal when I was having difficulties with accessing trove and adding information to the journal and had not seen Isaac Batey's 1892 article (which I eventually managed to post as a comment.)Redstone Hill, John's first squat (see end of journal re the attached image)is nearest Sunbury but could be fairly vaguely described as being near Diggers Rest, or even Keilor as Neil has done in his file about the 180th Anniversary of John Brock's arrival in Australia.

This is the only death record for a JOHN BROCK in 1856.

BROCK John, Death
mother:
father:, Henry
place of birth: LIN # Linlithgow, Scotland
spouse at death:MURRAY, Catherine
age, year, reg.no. (60, 1856, 4714/1856)

John's first wife # Jean Jane Simpson Brock died in 1847 at Bolinda Vale aged 51, indicating that she had been born in about 1896. John's details reveal the same making it likely that the death notice is that of the former squatter. John stood for parliament in 1856 but suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. # He died in 1856!
I doubted that somebody with the energy to stand for election could be the man who died in the same year but it looks as if I was wrong. The Janefield news made no mention of his death. Was there a family estrangement when he married Catherine Murray in 1949, two years after Jane's death.# No Evidence of estrangement _ Catherine was well known to the family as she was an aunt of James Millar Brock's wife Jane Hill. No Knowledge of John standing for Parliament!

BROCK John, Marriage, MURRAY, Catherine, 1849, 2239/1849

Catherine remarried about a decade after John's death. My internet's on the blink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POSTSCRIPT.
DONALDSON--BROCK."”On the 17th inst., at All Saints' Church, East St. Kilda, by the Very Rev. the Dean of Melbourne, assisted by the Rev. J. Watson, the Rev. J. M. Donaldson, incumbent of Mortlake, to Catherine, relict of John Brock, Esq., late of Bullandavale Station, Mount Macedon. No cards. (P.4, Argus, 20-11-1866.

As Trove is still unavailable I tried a JOHN BROCK, SQUATTER Google search.
the squatter era in victoria 1835-1847
Despite a careless* start, the information supplied seems to be reliable.
(* introduction

in March 1826, three squatters, David Fisher, James Strachan and George Russell arrived on the Caledonia and settled in the Geelong area - it was named Geelong in 1827 and surveyed in 1838 by which time it had a population of 545.)

1836.
John Brock (-1856), his wife and 3 sons left Van Dieman's Land and settled on grazing land west of Romsey - the small soda trachyte volcanic hill (1 of 3 such geologic forms including Camel's Hump and Hanging Rock), was named after him as Brock's Monument - now still on private land.
1844.
Patrick and Agnes Reid settle in Doreen. (This is significant in regard to the marriage of Frederick not Frederick it was Henry (eldest son of John) Brock to Margaret Reid in 1847.(See in No.3.) Perhaps John Brock was involved at Mill Park (early name for Janefield)from 1842 as claimed in one source already included in the journal.)# He was involved but never lived there

BROCK'S MONUMENT.
Several maps pinpoint the location of Brock's Monument.

PAGE 22.
Map 3 shows the significant landscapes in the declared area. The Macedon Ranges and Hanging Rock are the defining landscape features of the Shire and are exemplary and significant in a state context. At just over 1000 metres in elevation, Mt Macedon (and Camels Hump immediately to its north-east) are visible from far away, and they are among the highest points in Victoria west of Melbourne.The unique geological formation of Hanging Rock is of particular significance "” scientific, aesthetic, cultural, social and spiritual. It is a rare and dramatic example of a volcanic mamelon, which formed six million years ago when high-viscosity lava squeezed through a narrow vent in the Earth's crust. Camels Hump and Brock Monument formed in the same way. Weathering and erosion have contributed to the shape of these striking and unusual rock formations. Brock Monument "” between Hesket and Romsey "” is also of geological and landscape significance, as is the Jim Jim, a volcanic eruption point north of Hanging Rock. [/i]

2.JOHN ALEXANDER BROCK, ELDEST SON OF THE LATE ALEXANDER BROCK AND ELIZABETH BROCK

PARENTS' MARRIAGE

BROCK John Alexander, Birth
mother: Elizabeth, nee CLARKE
father: Alexander
Place of birth: RING (A farm called) "Ringwood" (between) Essendon (and Raleigh's Punt at today's Maribyrnong.) THE WORDS IN BRACKETS AND QUOTATION MARKS ARE MINE!
year, reg. no. (1854, 2057/1854)

3. MR. JOHN BROCK. #This John Brock is the eldest son of Henry Brock,and John Brock's grandson "“ a very prominent resident in Benalla.
The announcement is made in the Melbourne papers of the death of Mr. John Brock, formerly a well-known resident of Benalla. The death took place in the Melbourne Hospital, and the news will be read with regret by his numerous friends in this district.# He was first Captain of the Benalla Fire Brigade and occupied that position for some years. For many years deceased was connected with the Colonial Bank at Benalla, and was appointed manager of the branch about the year 1873. During his residence here Mr.Brock was a live citizen, and took a leading part in many movements for the benefit of the town and district. About 1884 Mr. Brook left Benalla, and entered into business with his brother as an auctioneer.

When the electorate of Moira was cut up into four districts Mr. Brock stood for Benalla and Yarrawonga, and was elected by an absolute majority over his four other opponents, two of whom lost their deposits. With the bursting of the land boom Mr. Brock had to resign his seat, and since then he has lived in Western
Australia and other states. (P.3, Benalla Standard, 15-11-1912.)
JOHN BROCK M.L.A.

PARENTS' MARRIAGE.
John and Jane Brock's eldest son,Henry, was married in 1847, shortly before Jane's death.
Family Notices
The Port Phillip Patriot and Morning Advertiser (Vic. : 1845 - 1848) Saturday 1 May 1847 p 2 Family Notices
... son of John Brock, Esq., of Ballanda Vale, Mount Macedon, to Margaret, second daughter of Patrick Reid .

JOHN'S MARRIAGE.
MARRIED.
Brock"” M'eachern.- On the 19th. inst., at the residence of the bride's father,- by the Rev. Boyd
M' Cay, John (manager of the Colonial Bank, Benalla), eldest son of the late Henry Brock, Janefield, to Christina, youngest daughter of Malcolm Stuart M'Eachern, Castlemaine.
(P.2, Mount Alexander Mail-Castlemaine-, 23-5-1876.) Christina died at Benalla in 1877.

Two brothers of John Brock 1, Thomas and Henry, came to Australia according to the Brock Pedigree. It was discovered that the former married the daughter of William Dods of Brunswick, spent much of his life at Brunswick and died at Heidelberg. He was not the one who had died at Castlemaine after running a business there for many decades. However as John Brock 3 had found his bride in Castlemaine, the Brocks of Janefield and Castlemaine were probably closely connected.

BROCK Jno, Death
mother: Margt REID
father: Brock Hy
place of DEATH:Rmond
age, year , reg.no. (62, 1912, 15983/1912)

"BROCK" "JANEFIELD" SEARCH ON TROVE.
I had tried this search before my aforementioned computer problems started but had limited the search to Victorian newspapers. Having seen mention of John and Jane coming to the Port Phillip District from Van Diemen's Land, I thought I'd try Tasmanian papers.

BROCK - On the 3rd November, at his residence Rathdowne
street Carlton, Melbourne, Henry Brock Esq., late of
Janefield, River Plenty, Victoria aged fifty three years.
(P.1, The Mercury, Hobart, 14-11-1871.)

THURSDAY, January 28.
At 12 o'clock.
To Capitalists, Stock Owners, Farmers, Graziers,
Speculators, Trustees, and Others.
IMPORTANT SALE OF VALUABLE
FREEHOLD PROPERTIES,
Known as the
JANEFIELD ESTATE,
Parish of Keilbundora, Nillumbik, Fronting the
River Plenty and Yan Yean Road, about 10
miles from the City. By order of the Trustées
of the late HENRY BROCK, Esq.
CONSISTING OF 1,073 ACRES
Of the Best Agricultural and Pastoral Land
within 20 miles of the City.
C. J. & T. HAM '
Have been favoured with instructions from
Messrs. Patrick and William Reed (Reid? I think so), trustees
under the will of the late Henry Brock, Esq.,
to sell by public auction, at their rooms, 45
Swanston-street, on THURSDAY, 28th Jan-
uary,* at 12 o'clock,
THE VALUABLE FARMS
known as
JANEFIELD,
On the Yan Yean road, close to the Janefield
toll, and extending from the main road to both
sides of the River Plenty, with the residence
and farm-houses as now in the occupation of
several first class tenants.
The whole of the estate, comprising 1,073
acres, securely fenced in and subdivided into
farms and paddocks, will be sold in
ONE LOT,
1st.-520 acres first-class agricultural land,
together with the large, substantial, and com-
fortable
BLUESTONE FAMILY RESIDENCE,
With extensive outbuildings, formerly occupied
by the late Mr. Brock, and now in the occupa-
tion of Mr. Wyatt. About 120 acres of the
farm is under cultivation, the remainder being
used as grazing paddocks.
2nd.-237 acres very superior agricultural
land, with bluestone cottage residence, now and
for many years past in the occupation of Mr.
Slassar. About 115 acres are under cultivation..
3rd.-108 acres splendid land, occupied by
Mr. Jones and Mr. Peacock, about 40 acres of
which are under cultivation.
4th.-214 acres east of the River Plenty,
with cottage, occupied by Mr. Hooper, about
30 acres being under cultivation.
The whole of the above tenancies expire 1st
March, 1876.
The above valuable properties form an estate
of exceptional value, having the advantage of
being in one block, and a great portion of the
land is the best in the colony. One of the best
kept roads out of the city extends along the
whole of the western boundary, and the River
Plenty meanders through the estate.
The land under cultivation is unsurpassed in
quality and capability of sustaining large and
continuous crops. The back land is well
grassed, and sufficiently timbered to afford good
shelter for cattle.
The whole of the property was acquired by
the late Mr. Brock during the past 35 years.
Such blocks of land near the city could only be
obtained in the early days of the colony.
The auctioneers would call the especial atten-
tion of capitalists, stockowners, and others to
the sale of this estate, affording as it does an
opportunity of securing an improving property,
possessing the advantages of good soil, per-
manent water, splondid road, and contiguity to
the metropolis.
Title Certificate.
Terms-One-fifth cash ; balance 0,12,24, and
30 months, bearing interest at 6 per cent.
(P.4, The Mercury, Hobart, 6-1-1875)

NOW BACK TO VICTORIAN PAPERS.
I WONDER IF THE BRAND WAS ACTUALLY "JB".
CAUTION -This is to give notice to the
public and Charles C. S Anning that
no person has any right to claim or dispose of
Cattle branded IB* near rump without our
authority, such brand being the sole property
of the undersigned, registered since 1836.
H. and J. M. BROCK, Gisborne.
ALEX. BROCK, Janefield.
(P.7, Argus, 18-8-1856.)
*IT IS PROBABLE THAT THIS IS A TYPO AND SHOULD BE JB FOR JOHN BROCK.

There are two conficting claims about the year of John's arrival in Victoria which I included earlier in the journal: 1835 and 1837. The registration of the brand in 1836 would make it almost certain that 1837 is wrong.
John Brock came to Port Phillip in 1835 to recce the area for grazing purposes. He and his family appear on the first Port Phillip census in (1836) I HAVE A SCAN.Obviously finding it suitable he returned the next year in 1836 with his family, stock and squatting plant and from that time remained in Port Phillip.

AS WELL AS THE FILE IN WHICH NEIL COPIED MY JOURNAL AND ADDED THE ABOVE COMMENTS, HE SENT ME ANOTHER FILE ABOUT THE 180 ANNIVERARY OF JOHN AND JANE'S ARRIVAL IN VICTORIA.
It contains a description of the location of John's run, as described in the 1836 census,which Isaac Batey, writing as RAMROD IN 1892, stated emphatically was "REDSTONE HILL". Redstone Rd, Sunbury is 41.1 km from Melbourne BY ROAD, far greater than 13 miles as stated in the census, but of course there were no roads so John would have taken the shortest possible route heading towards Mt Macedon following a stream if possible when walking his flock to the land where he had decided to squat.

John could have taken two routes to reach Redstone Hill requiring not much more than a 13 mile journey.

Firstly up a rough track created by such as John Aitken and George Evans, up Flemington Hill,continuing towards Mt Macedon, left into the road (Buckley St) to Solomon's Ford at Melway 27 C9 (not Clancy's later ford at 27 B8) and then following the ruts of Aitken's dray along the west side of the Saltwater River to a ford just south of Redstone Hill which Hume and Hovell were thought to have used en route from (the cairn at Melway 177 J8) to (the cairn at the future) St Albans.
DISTANCE FROM MELBOURNE?

Secondly a fairly direct route Epsom Rd,Buckley St veering a bit north to cross Steele Ck at 27J2 and then North Pole (Milleara) Rd?) along the west side of the Saltwater River through the parish of Doutta Galla to Melway 15B2 and into the parish of Tullamarine, staying west of Steele Creek and Arundel Creek to the Junction of Deep and Jacksons Creeks at 4 B4 and then heading north east through the land which James Robb bought from John Pascoe Fawkner fifteen years later, reaching the ford in the middle of 4 B3 that later linked Mansfield Rd (now closed for airport expansion)to Loemans Rd on Tullamarine Island. Probably following roughly the course of Loemans Rd northward to 176G4, it would then be westward ho along the northern escarpment of Jacksons Creek for about a mile and a half to a perfect look out (at 382 K12)to survey the available land east of the Jackson Brothers' Koorakooracup run on which the town of Sunbury was established. (It was Jackson and his brother, Samuel, who named the township Sunbury, after Sunbury-on-Thames, in Middlesex, England when it was established in 1857. From Wikipedia.)
DISTANCE FROM MELBOURNE? 16 miles to the Holden Flora and Fauna Reserve just across Jackson Creek from Redstone Hill.

See the description of the location of John Brock's 1836 run under the dotted line re the attached image.
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ATTACHED IMAGE SHOWS THE VIEW OF MELBOURNE FROM JOHN BROCK'S FIRST RUN, REDSTONE HILL AT MELWAY 382K12.
John Brock and his family did not remain in Melbourne but made their way along Saltwater River (Maribrynong
River). At the time of the census (November 1836) it states they were located at the "first junction"(Jackson's Creek),around "13 miles" from Melbourne, which would have been in the vicinity of Keilor.