Biographies of Early Settlers

These biographies of some of the founding fathers of Morwell have come from “Victoria and its Metropolis”. This work of three volumes was produced in 1887 to mark the Jubilee of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne. It contained particulars of forty Morwell and district men some of whose biographies appear here in abridged form with additional subsequent material. |
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Applegate, Paul - Born England 1827
Arrived in Victoria 1853 in ship “Elizebeth”, worked as a miller in Flinders
Street Melbourne for one year. Moved to Geelong, worked as carrier using
bullock team for 3 years. Farmed at Moorabool River, 1858 – 1875.
Selected land Morwell 1876. Married 1857, Ellen Pratt of Co. Cavan,
Ireland. They had four children.
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Biles, Thomas - Born Wales 1857
Came to Victoria 1860 with parents who farmed at Geelong. Selected 240
acres in Morwell 1877. |
Buckley, Benjamin Wager - Born Lancashire, England 1817 Landed Adelaide 1851 from ship “Carlton” Came to Victoria 1852.
Proceeded to gold diggings at Forest Creek, Bendigo and Castlemaine. Spent
two years in carrying business. Bought land and farmed at Kyneton before
selecting 240 acres at Morwell. Married 1848, Betsy Smith |
Corney, Charles E. - Born Casterton, Victoria 1865
Farmed with uncle in Western District for 18 years. Came to Morwell to work for McDougall. Selected 320 acres for himself. Bred trotting horses. He gained second prize at the Melbourne Show 1886 with his trotter “Wildfire”. Member of Morwell Football team. He employed three men |
Daly, William - Born Cork Ireland 1830
Arrived in Victoria on “Queen of the Seas” 1885 Farmed western district
Selected 265 acres, plus 160 acres later, at Morwell |
Dunbar, Duncan - Born Scotland 1851
Arrived in Victoria with parents in ship “Hamilton” Selected 146 acres
Morwell 1887 |
Flegg, John - Born Norfolk, England 1836, Apprentice wheelwright Came to Victoria 1868 aboard “Essex” Conducted Wheelwright business in
Brighton until 1885 when he selected 320m acres Morwell |
Fleming, John - Born Essendon Victoria 1863
Farmed with parents Selected 196 acres Morwell Bridge 1883 |
Flewin, John - Born Kent, England 1846 Arrived by ship ‘Glasburden” 1856 His father was first brick maker in
Ballarat. Selected 82 acres Morwell, also conducted brick making business in the
town |
Godridge, Henry - Born Nottingham, England 1823 Learned brick making trade Arrived Victoria 1848 in “Pride of the Sea”.
Worked Melbourne, Portland and Geelong, followed gold diggings Bathurst N.S.W.,
Forest Creek, Ballarat, Bendigo and other fields. Built and constructed hotel at
Russel’s Creek, Gippsland 1861 for 14 years. Took over Morwell Bridge Hotel
1879. Later conducted a coffee palace and was postmaster at Morwell Bridge where
he also selected his land. |
Gooding, Thomas - Born Somersetshire, England 1842 Came to Victoria on ship “Sea Queen” . Educated Presbyterian Free
School, Geelong. Spent eight years on father’s farm then 10 years droving
before selecting 200 acres at Morwell. Suffered property loss in
1800 bushfires. |
Kelleher, Edmond - Born Co. Kerry, Ireland 1850
Arrived Melbourne by S.S.”Great Britain” |
Kelleher, Maurice
Brother of Edmond, Born 1854 and came to Victoria 1875 on the “Durham”.
Selected 250 acres Morwell 1880 |
McKitterick, John - Born Ireland 1837
Arrived Victoria on “Port Phillip” 1884. Proceeded to Morwell, bought an acre
allotment selected on Tarwin River |
McNabb, William - Born Downpatrick, Ireland
Arrived Victoria on board “Carpentaria” Worked successively as a wood
splitter, then for a brewer and in the carrying trade, finally as a farmer.
Bought 1056 acres (at five pounds an acre) Morwell area |
Molloy, Laurence - Born Ireland 1838
Came to Victoria in 1859 by ship “James Baines”. |
Morrell, Robert - Born Devonshire, England 1828 Came to Melbourne on board the “Percy” 1853 Engaged in gardening and his
trade of boot making. Selected 200 acres Morwell area in 1875 |
Ryan, Jeremiah - Born Dublin, Ireland 1847
Went to America 1862 for five years, returned to Ireland, sailed to New
Zealand 1871 on “Glen Huntley”. He had an adventurous career on goldfields
in Victoria, N.S.W. and Queensland and also did some tin mining. He
selected 320 acres Morwell area and bought 240 acres more, plus eight town
allotments and two shops in Morwell. |
Theobold, Thomas - Born Yorkshire, England Came to Victoria 1853 by ship “Atlanta”. Worked in Melbourne for the
Government before going to diggings ai Ararat, Ballarat, Bendigo, Forest Creek
and Woods Point. Went to Heyfield 1870, built and constructed Commercial Hotel
there until he came to Morwell in 1879. Built and ran a butcher shop until 1885
when he retired to his farm of 51 acres. He let a butcher’s and a baker’s shop
and owned eight town allotments. |
Tonkyn, Howard Nicholls - Born Cornwall England Arrived Melbourne by ship “Kent” 1873. Worked at his trade of bakery in Carlton, Traralgon then at Morwell for four years. Conducted Morwell Hotel for two years then went to Walhalla. For 1500 pounds he bought the twenty five year old Long Tunnel Hotel with its 22 rooms and 13 stall stable |
Valentine, William - Born Wicklow, Ireland 1880
Arrived Victoria "SS Sorata” 1884 Managed a farm and orchard Pakenham for two years. After a two year visit to Ireland he bought 270 acres at Morwell in 1880. |