Articles From Our Newsletter
1839 Directory of the Port Phillip District
The first published Directory to list the residents of the Port Phillip District of New South...
A Marriage in the Port Phillip District
I was interested to read the article regarding the Rev. James Forbes in the last newsletter, for...
A NEW ADDITION TO OUR POSTS
Added to Members Resources, from the most recent edition of Pioneer Echo (245), are the following...
A Not So Merry Christmas
Did you know that Christmas Hills in the Port Phillip District, now Victoria, owes its name to an...
A Personal View of Andrew McCrae
By profession, Dilys Yap was a ballet teacher and Accredited Govennment Dance Assessor. Her love...
A Pioneer Grandmother
This photo is of the pioneer great-grandmother of Leith Landauer, PPPG member No. 1388....
A Pioneer, Mrs William Hogg, Stolen as a Baby
‘ The identity of another white girl baby born before 1844 has been established: Mrs William Hogg,...
A Pioneer’s Story
A-Pioneers-Story-Mrs-Louisa-HumphriesDownload
A Port Phillip Christmas
How Christmas was celebrated between about 1830 and 1851 in the Port Phillip District seems to...
A Tale of Two Sisters
Decades before the Irish potato famine, John and Mary Mulqueeny of County Clare had two daughters....
A True Report of the Services Rendered by Sergeant William Henry Johnson in the early days of the Colony
This is a copy of the Journal written by Sergeant William Henry JOHNSON over the period...
Adam Thomson – Minister of St James’ Church during the 1840s
Peter Sherlock's interest in the story of Adam Compton Thomson stems from his teen years when he...
Adolphus Goldsmith: Pastoralist of ‘Trawallo’
The Victorian town of Trawalla, east of Beaufort and 41 km west of Ballarat, is named after an...
Agnes Buntine of Gippsland
Agnes Buntine (nee Davidson) was eighteen when she arrived in Port Phillip with her family, on...
Alexander Brunton
A Mr. Brunton was a cabin passenger on the "Agnes and Elizabeth" (a schooner of 74 tons,...
Alexander McGregor – The Story of his Journal
This article is in response to a recent suggestion asking if I could tell more about finding...
Alfred Felton and the Felton Bequest
Fundraising Officer and former Assistant Curator at the National Gallery of Victoria, Humphrey...
Aliens
Aliens-William-WenzelDownload
Amphitheatre – a Potted History
As the name suggests, this little town is situated in an open flat space surrounded by hills. It...
An Aboriginal Tracker
YANGGENDYINANYUK (traditional name JUMUMJEANUKE /JUNGUNJINUKE, also known as DICK-A-DICK and KING...
An Early Birth At Port Philip
Charles Naylor was born 10 April 1837 at Port Phillip but you won't find his name in any of the...
An Early Elizabeth St Flood
Having observed and measured the rainfall resulting from short sharp storms this year I was...
Andrew Love – First Presbyterian Minister Geelong
The first minister of the Presbyterian Church in Geelong was the Rev. Andrew Love. He ministered...
Andrew MacNaughton – Geelong’s First Publican
Mack's Hotel, on Corio Terrace ca. 1875 The first liquor to be served in a public house in...
Andrew Ramsay
The Rev. Andrew Ramsay arrived at Melbourne on 4 January 1847 with his wife and family...
Archaeological Digs in Melbourne
The State's biggest ever archaeological investigation is underway in Melbourne, providing...
Archival Access Victoria
When Mark Grealy's grandfather stopped researching his family tree, Mark took over the task from...
Australian History – Image-based Sources
Highly Recommended IMAGE-BASED Historical Sourcesto Support and Inspire...
Australian History – Provider Sources
Highly Recommended Victorian, Australian and International‘History Providers’ to Support and...
Australian History – Sound-based Sources
Highly Recommended SOUND-BASED Historical Sourcesto Support and Inspire...
Australian History – Word-based Sources
Highly Recommended WORD-BASED Historical Sourcesto Support and Inspire...
Babes in the Wood – Do You Remember?
“On a delightful spring day in August,1864, Mrs John Duff was alone with her three children Jane...
Baby Farming and the Infant Life Protection Act
Although this address by Helen Doxford Harris concerns events during 1890-1900, the issues raised...
Backhouse and Walker – Quaker Missionaries
James Backhouse and George Washington Walker sailed from St. Katherine's Dock in London, England...
Barfold Gorge
n the 1840s my great great grandfather, his wife and five young children lived near the Barfold...
Batman Loses Ground in Row over City Founders
From the Archives, 1997 By Gabrielle Costa, August 2, 2022 Melbourne’s longest running debate —...
Batman Treaty – 175th Anniversary
On Sunday afternoon, 6 June 2010, a small group of interested persons visited the place where John...
Batman Treaty Memorial Location Located
Treaty Memorial Site, Merri Creek, Northcote An interesting find was made by workers clearing...
Batman’s ‘Treaty’, the True Story
Jim Poulter is the author of numerous children's books with Aboriginal and historical themes. He...
Batman’s Hill
¨ Illustration of the changes to Batman's Hill between 1840 and 1882 (J MacFarlane - The...
Bearbrass – Imagining Early Melbourne
At our last meeting Allan Willingham described architecture in the Port Phillip District. He...
Becoming a Living Ancestor – Leave your Memories Behind
Beryl O'Gorman's favourite quotation is 'the survival of any tribe or family depends on the...
Beginnings: Book Review
A map on the wall of his parent's shop in country Victoria is what got Frank Hutchinson interested...
Beyond the Facade – Flinders street Station
Our speaker, Jenny Davies, became interested in the Flinders Street Railway Station when she...
Black Thursday 6 February 1851
( Image Engraved by F. A. Sleap. Source: State Library of Victoria ) The Black...
Black Thursday Bushfires 1851
Bushfires were but one of many hardships faced by our pioneering ancestors. However the fires of 6...
Boroondara Cemetery Kew
Boroondara General Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. It occupies a triangular...
Brick Walls and Dead Ends
In researching a family tree, it is necessary to find ways to navigate around 'dead ends' and to...
Brighton Cemetery: ‘Not Just a Lot of Old Bones’
Land was put aside in Caulfield for a new cemetery known as the Brighton General Cemetery in 1853....
Cabbage Tree Hats
Ever wondered what a cabbage tree hat is? Read on. If you recall the address by Police Historian...
Cambridgeshire Assisted Emigration
Allan and Sarah Hines (nee Rook) The ship "Royal George" arrived at Melbourne, Port...
Campbellfield – Who Named It?
1.Victoria. Department of Crown Lands Survey. (1884). Jika Jika, County of Bourke [cartographic...
Captain Ardlie and his Camels
When Capt. John Martin Ardlie HEICS signed the Loyal Address to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867 he...
Captain Charles Forrest
Further to our last newsletter (see Life on the Yarra/Birrarung) featuring the Yarra, Valerie...
Captain Henry Lawler
Captain Henry Lawler was my great great grandfather on my paternal side. I began a tentative...
Captain John Eddington of Ballingeich
Captain John Eddington (1798-1873) John Eddington was born in 1798 into a military family in...
Catalogue of PPPG Library Holdings
The books and pamphlets in our Library, which contains histories, stories and information for...
Catherine Carroll
The Family of Catherine Carroll(1841-1889) Often people are frustrated in their search...
Charles Ebden and Black Rock house
Castellated Wall & Gate, Black Rock House; Carolyn Brown; Charles Hotson Ebden Whilst Charles...
Charles Grimes Plaque
A Commemorative plaque near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Captain...
Charles Jones
My ancestor, Charles Jones (date of arrival unknown, but before 1848 ) was an interesting...
Charles Joseph La Trobe
Superintendent of the Port Phillip District Charles Joseph Latrobe was born on 20th March 1801 in...
Charles Joseph La Trobe – ‘The Man’
Dr Dianne Reilly AM Finds Gold in Charles Joseph La Trobe's Legacy to Victoria Dianne Reilly is...
Christmas in the Port Phillip District
In issue 231 of the Pioneer Echo, we reflected on Christmases past and how the Port...
Chronicles of Early Melbourne by ‘Garryowen’
To assist members with their research into their ancestors and and early Melbourne we have proved...
Chuck’s Mosaic and where some of the Pioneers Lie
A member of The Friends of the St. Kilda Cemetery, Elizabeth Hore, enjoys taking people on tours...
Clara Ellen Hall – ‘Old Gran Treacy’
Her Colourful and Globetrotting Life I have old gran Treacy to thank for becoming a member of the...
Commemorating the Port Phillip Pioneers
An Historian's Point of View In a 'meandering' talk Paul de Serville discussed the attitude of...
Computers and Family History
For many of us, computers have become an essential tool in searching for information about our...
Consolidated Surname Index of Pioneer Profiles
ABBOT (vol.4)ABBOTT (vol.4)ABERLINE (vol.2)ABERNETHY (vol.3)ACHESON (vol.3)ADAM (vol.3)ADAMS...
Convicts of Port Phillip
by Susie Zada It is generally believed that there were no convicts transported to the Port Phillip...
Convicts or Pirates?
The first half of 1851 was an unsettled time in the Port Phillip District. As the date for...
Crossing the Seas to the PPD
In her July 2024 talk to the PPPG, Elaine Race discussed he importance of Bass Strait to shipping,...
Dating Family Photographs
Having published a book titled "Dating Family Photos 1850 - 1920", Lenore Frost gave us some...
Dating Photos by Costume
MEMOIR AND NOTES ON THE CURIOUS ART OF DATING BY COSTUME As many of you already know, trying to...
David and Alexina Duncan
Mr. Duncan and his wife Alexina voyaged to Port Phillip on the first settlers' ship, the "David...
David Sharp – my Favourite Ancestor
Jacki Mitchell talks about her ancestor, David Sharp ( 1816 - 1889 ), and her research...
Death of a Child
Coroners Inquest: An inquest was held yesterday at the Mechanics' Arms, Little Collins...
DEATH OF A KING
Mudgen, the king or chief of the Barrabool tribe of Aborigines, died on Sunday morning last, the...
Deaths by Drowning
The record of the Inquest for Mathew Hogan was found at the Victorian Public Records Office (VPRS...
Development of Melbourne’s Sewerage System
Paul Balassone and Robert La Nauze spoke at our July meeting about the development of Melbourne's...
Donald Charlwood, OAM
It is with sadness that we have to record the death of one of our long term members, Don...
Dr Barry Cotter, The First Doctor in Melbourne
Moira-McAlister-address-at-meeting-12-Nov-2022-Dr-Barry-CotterDownload
Dr Edmund Charles Hobson
Edmund Charles Hobson was born at Parramatta, New South Wales on 10 August 1814, the son of Edmund...
Dr John McNaughton
I was born and raised in Melbourne, left in 1964 at the age of 23, travelled extensively in Europe...
Drowned In The Yarra
My great-great grandfather, Joseph Radford arrived in Adelaide with his wife Caroline and son...
Duke of Portland
The "Duke of Portland" 533 tons As She Prepares to Leave for Australia( Source of Image:...
Early Church Records
Copies of a number parish registers for the Port Phillip District are held by the Registry of...
Early Melbourne Architecture
Architectural Historian, Allan Willingham, brought the early Port Phillip District alive with his...
Early Melbourne Suburbs
Whilst Ken Smith was doing research on Unwin's Special Survey he searched old newspapers to see...
Early Melbourne: a Memoir and a Picture
(Published by Ebenezer and David Syme. Image Source: State Library of Victoria) "The Argus"...
Early Newspapers
There were numerous newspapers published in the Port Phillip District prior to Separation. Here is...
Early Records pf the Public Record office (PROV) – Indexing, Digitising & Accessing
Nicole Llewellyn is the manager of the Reading Room at the Public Record Office of Victoria (PROV)...
Edmund Ferguson: our first horse doctor
Edmund Ferguson arrived in Hobart on 26 June 1833 as a cabin passenger on...
Edmund Steel of Point Henry and Jan Juc
Location of Edmund Steel's 2,000 acre South Beach Station at Present Day Jan Juc Edmund Steel, who...
Education in Australia Felix
An article in the Geelong Advertiser and Squatters' Advocate (Vic.: 1845 - 1847) Wed 8 Jul...
Edward Curr the Father of Separation
Many people worked for Victoria's separation from New South Wales but it was Edward Curr who...
Edward Gifford Price
GIPPSLAND'S ITINERANT MINISTER Edward Gifford Pryce was born on 26 August 1814 at Liverpool,...
Edward Sayce
The Society of Friends (commonly known as the Quakers) was founded in England by George Fox in the...
Edward Waghorn
Edward Waghorn was born May 1806, Chatham, Kent, England and died 18 July 1868, Melbourne,...
Eliza Fawkner
A Founding Mother of Melbourne Whilst researching the migration of people across Bass Strait,...
Here is an Audio File by member Bev Jacobson about her ancestor Elizabeth Brison...
Elizabeth Sarah Pennefather
Elizabeth Sarah Pennefather (nee Curr) was the fourth daughter and tenth child of Edward...
Exiles – a Different Class of Victorian
To the residents of the Port Phillip District in 1844 it was a matter of pride that the area was...
Faithful Massacre
Graves, everyone must eventually have one whether it be a grand Mausoleum, a simple plot ( with or...
Female Migration from UK to Australia
Dr Liz Rushen has written several books about the early immigration of women to Australia. Were...
Female Migration to Australia 1833-1837
For the first 40 years of its history, Australia was considered purely a convict settlement. By...
Female Prisoners
George J. Armstrong, Governor of Pentridge from 1974-76, lecturer in Prison History, and co-author...
Finding where your Ancestors Lived in Melbourne in the 1840s
Long-time member of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group, Ken Smith has scrutinised all the land...
First Cab at Geelong Gained Notoriety
The day of the cab as a means of conveyance, at any rate so far as Geelong is concerned, arrived...
First Punt Across the Yarra
Figure 1. Landing at Melbourne on North Bank of Yarra River 1840 (Source: Watercolour by...
Fitzroy (Newtown) in the 1840s
In 1839 land between Alexandra Parade and the Melbourne city grid was subdivided into allotments...
Five Committee Members – Over 80 Years’ Service
In 2020 and 2021, , five longstanding committee members retired and were honoured by the Group at...
Flagstaff Gardens
A Pleasant Sunday Afternoon in the Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne Chris Manchee who has worked...
Fleming House
Fleming House, Park Street, West Brunswick Owned and lived in by John Wood and Mary Weir...
Following the Footsteps of Batman
John Daniels Maps Out a New Theory of the Route Taken by John Batman's Party One hundred and...
Forum February 2020
The February Forum was a 'Show and Tell of Historical Items' followed by a general...
Foundation Days: Sacred Heart College Geelong
John Watts has been a teacher of visual arts for 26 years at Sacred Heart College in Geelong. His...
Fourteen Generations
My 11th great grandfather, William Need, was a farmer in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, four miles north...
Freemasons, Rechabites and Oddfellows
As a Freemason and President of the Ringwood Historical Society, Russ Haines has an interest in...
George Coppin – the Father of Australian Theatre?
At the General Meeting on 8 July 2023, Port Phillip Pioneers Group Vice President, Elaine Race,...
Georgiana McRae’s Journal
Georgiana Huntly Gordon was an illegitimate child of Jane Graham and George Gordon, who was the...
German Migration to the Port Phillip District
The flow of German immigrants to Australia was advantageous both to them and to Australia, but...
Gippsland’s White Woman
As the Port Phillip District was being explored in the 1840s reports emerged of some strange...
Glen Eira Warts and All
Carol Stals Brought the House Down with Her Talk on Glen Eira As a resident of Glen Eira, Carol...
Governess to the Mad Count of Mordialloc
On Wednesday 23 September 1874 my great great grandfather John Ross McNaughton wrote from a...
Governor Bourke & the Founding of the Port Phillip District
When Dr. Maxwell Waugh was lecturing at Monash University, he discovered that Richard Bourke, the...
Graham Berry
M.L.A. for Geelong, Premier of Victoria Peter Mansfield outlines the Career of Sir Graham Berry...
Grasshoff & Melchior Daguerrotypists
Early Victorian Hand-Coloured Daguerreotypes(Photographer Unknown - State Library of Victoria...
Listen to an audio file about this pioneer family by their descendant and PPPG member Stuart...
Harbours and Ships of Port Phillip – 1800 to 1930
By Martin Playne As family historians, we have tended to ignore the role that the sea has...
Henry Augustus Lawler
Henry-Augustus-Lawler-by-Carol-StalsDownload
Henry Morris and Judith Murphy
Henry Morris, a 23 year old farm labourer from Kilkenny Ireland, arrived in Melbourne on...
Henry Rankin and Rankins Lane
RANKINS LANE, MELBOURNE(Great and 2nd Great Grand-daughters visit in 2012) Well, what a year that...
Hoosum: Blatherum
BATTLE OF VIMEIRA (Wikipedia) One of the most colourful characters in the Port Phillip District...
Hugh and Jane MIDDLEMISS
Hugh Middlemiss was born in 1814 at Perth, Scotland to John and Jean (nee Cameron)...
Ian Collings and his Postcard Collection
Postcards from Ian Collings' Collection The first postcard was sent on 1st October 1869 in Austria...
In Search of Mark Colman
The Paper Chase On receiving my great-great-grandmother, Dinah Davidson's death certificate (1876)...
Incorporation of the Town of Melbourne
On the 22nd October, 1841, the settlement of Melbourne was divided into four wards for the purpose...
Indigenous People of Barfold
Customary Warning:Aboriginal viewers should be aware that this article may containculturally...
Isaac Lazarus Lincoln Tailor & Draper
Isaac Lazarus Lincoln was the son of Jonas Lazarus, a silversmith, jeweller, and broker of Steep...
Isaac Selby & the Old Melbourne Cemetery
View of the Presbyterian Section, Old Melbourne Cemetery Much of the knowledge that we now...
It’s a Small World
Since I began entering the details of our pioneering ancestors into the records from 1977 onwards,...
James Bonwick
John Batt gave an interesting insight into the life and personality of James Bonwick, a man with a...
James Bowie Kirk and his Horse Bazaar
KIRK'S HORSE BAZAAR( Source of Image: "The Australasian Sketcher" of 4 September...
James Forbes
At the entrance to Scots Church, on the corner of Russell Street and Collins Street, Melbourne, a...
James, Christian, Lauchlan & John McNaughton
I started researching my family history in the mid-1960s and quickly discovered that my 2nd great...
Jeremiah Coffee 22 Years On
Jeremiah Coffee was resident in the Port Phillip District in 1838 and brought with him from...
John & Eliza Batman and Charles Swantson
Joy Braybrook, author and public speaker, provided us with interesting details about John &...
John Aitken of Mount Aitken
John Aitken of Mount Aitken (Portrait by Francis Frederic Hutton) John Aitken was a pioneer...
John Allen, Pioneer of Melbourne’s Gas Supply
Reverend John Allen (1804-1861) The establishment of a gas supply for Melbourne owes much to the...
John Batman And The Foundation Of Melbourne
9th of June 1835: "the boat went up the river to where it is very deep, 30ft - that will be the...
John Beswicke Heritage Architect
Ken Bethell, himself an architect, has written a history of his grandfather John Beswicke who over...
John Cheyne
The Marriage of his Daughter From items of interest from the short lived newspaper "Miner's Right...
John Davies Mereweather
CHURCH OF ENGLAND MINISTER John Davies Mereweather was born in 1816, the son and only child of...
John Ham: Melbourne’s First Baptist Minister
John Ham was born about 1797 in England to parents who were members of the Church of England. At...
John Marshall: Shipowner, Lloyd’s Reformer and Emigration Agent
We search for our ancestors' names in the shipping records, but we don't pay much attention to the...
John Moon Bryant of Royal Terrace Fitzroy
"Royal Terrace," Nicholson Street, Fitzroy.( Image Source: State Library of Victoria ) ...
John Muston – a Forgotten Pioneer
Whilst Robert Wuchatsch and his late wife Gaye were researching Gaye's...
John Pascoe Fawkner
John Pascoe Fawkner Joy Braybrook author of "John Batman: An Inside Story of the Birth of...
John Wroe Founder of the Christian Israelites
Christian Israelite Sanctuary in the Melbourne Suburb of Fitzroy- - - - o - - - - In the...
Joseph Pittman: Stationer and Artist
Pittman's Advertisement in Mouritz's 1847 Directory Joseph Pittman arrived in Melbourne on 11...
Ken Smith, OAM
We were delighted to learn that one of our members, Kenneth Hayden Smith, PPPG Member No. 1148, of...
La Trobe’s Cottage
The inner Melbourne suburb of Jolimont is named after the property on which Charles Joseph La...
Lament for a Convict!
I wish I had a convictHanging on my Family Tree.Well, not exactly "hanging,"Just there for me to...
Land Management from Deep Time to 1851
Address at the General Meeting on 13 July 2025 By Professor Richard Broome AM Richard, who retired...
Lester Stephen
( 5.11.1926 - 15.10.2012 ) Lester Roy Stephen (Port Phillip Pioneers Group Member No. 56) died...
Letters from Victorian Pioneers
A valuable source of information about the early settlement of Victoria is a collection of letters...
Lieutenant Charles Forrest 35th Royal Sussex Regiment
Charles Forrest was born in Cawnpore, India on the 19th April 1809 to Charles Ramus Forrest and...
Life on the Yarra/Birrarung
Judith Buckrich Judith Buckrich has had a long involvement with the arts and literature and has...
Lighthouse at Hobson’s Bay
SHIPPING NEWS - NOTICE TO MARINERS The following notice to mariners has been transmitted to...
Lighthouses and Shipwrecks in the Port Phillip District
Above: The Cape Otway Lighthouse is considered Australia’s most significant lighthouse and is also...
List of Claimed Pioneers
Since starting in 1970, the Port Phillip Pioneers Group has had nearly 1,600 members. Well over...
Looking after Graves
Cemeteries are places of history and heritage, which show us how things were, and like everything...
Looking After Graves
Cemeteries are places of history and heritage, which show us how things were, and like everything...
Losing the Blue Lake
THE 19TH CENTURY RECLAMATION OF THE WETLANDS OF WEST MELBOURNE David Sornig is the author of ‘Blue...
Loss of the ‘India’
We stop the press to announce the melancholy intelligence of the loss by fire of the...
Magic Lanterns
Demonstration and Talk John Semmens Works Magic With His Lantern John Semmens brought along to the...
Margaret Fleming awarded OAM
The Port Phillip Pioneers Group (PPPG) is pleased to announce that our member, and former...
Margaret Sandiman
Centenarian or Not? In her obituary my three times great grandmother Margaret Sandiman was claimed...
Marie Orr
Marie Teresa Orr joined the Port Phillip Pioneers Group Inc. in 1985 as Member No. 537, having...
Mary McKillop – the Saintly Port Phillip Pioneer
Our Mary, many Australians are calling Mary McKillop - but we Port Phillip Pioneer members have...
Melbourne – Foundations of a City
Address at the General Meeting on 8 November 2025 By Margaret Anderson Margaret Anderson,...
Melbourne – Sydney Rivalry
(FROM THE VERY BEGINNING) My great-great grandfather, James Hacking, his wife Elizabeth Bayes,...
Melbourne circa 1853-1860
We arrived in Melbourne on 17 March, 1853. The women and children were not allowed to land until...
Melbourne Foundation Day Committee
Andrew Howey from the Melbourne Foundation Day Committee spoke about the association; its...
Melbourne Miles
One of our PPPG Members, Dr. Maxwell Lay, is the author of Melbourne Miles, a history of...
Melbourne Place Names
BRIGHTON ( named after the popular Sussex watering town ) was originally a private holding,...
Melbourne Traders’ Tokens
One hundred and fifty years ago, you could find advertisements on your small change. Between 1849...
Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens
Soon after settlement at Melbourne commenced certain residents became aware of the need for public...
Melbourne’s First Cemeteries
Many people assume the first Melbourne cemetery was the Old Melbourne Cemetery (under the Queen...
Melbourne’s First Newspaper
Front cover of the Melbourne Advertiser newspaper. 15 January, 1838 Vol 1 No.3 In 1838, with no...
Melbourne’s Mystery Man George McKillop
In Melbourne's early days there were two McKillops, one named Alexander, the other George. Both...
Melbourne’s Planned Ship Canal
Planned Ship Canal and Docks, Melbourne (c1853)(State Library of Victoria Collection) During the...
Melbourne’s Roads & Streets in the Time of the Port Phillip District
Dr. Maxwell Lay, civil engineer, is director of Connecteast which is constructing the Mitcham -...
Melbourne’s Water Supply
The selection of Melbourne as the site for a village was largely due to it having a source of...
Michael Cashmore and the Solomon Family
Samuel Moss Solomon ("Shlomo the Pencil Maker"); Trevor Cohen (centre); and Michael Cashmore...
Michael Dawson: Man of Property
Phoenix Park, Home of Michael Dawson, Esq. In 1849 Michael Dawson, one of the original land...
Michael Grogan
Michael Grogan(PPPG Member No. 1332) It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of...
Michael Hogan and the Two Gum Trees
I located the following article written about my great-great-grandfather, Michael Hogan. It...
Microfiche: Cemetery Records or More
Members may or may not be aware that we have microfiche for borrowing in the Library. We no longer...
Millers and Mills in Victoria
Initially wheat and flour were imported into the Port Phillip District mainly from Sydney and Van...
Mornington Peninsula Postcards
The Mornington Peninsular's historical societies in Balnarring, Dromana, Flinders, Hastings,...
Moses Rintel – Melbourne’s First Tab bi
Rabbi Moses Rintel The parents of Moses Rintel came from Eastern Europe and settled in England in...
Mountain Cattlemen
The Bogong High Plains are in north-east Victoria. They occupy an area of 3,800 square kilometres...
Mrs Swords – what was her birth name?
The following article is taken from "The Frankston Times," dated 29 September 2014, page 35, from...
My Almost Forgotten 3G Uncle John Wheeler
The New 'Kilmore Inn' Which John Wheeler Had Built.( George Vinge Was Licensee From 1859 to 1862 )...
Native Police Victoria
The concept of a Native Police force was first proposed by Captain Alexander Maconochie in 1837,...
Nicholas Emmelen
Listen to an audio file about this pioneer by his descendant and PPPG member Beverley Jacobson
Notes on a Bush Life
March 22, 1843: ‘NOTES OF A BUSH LIFE – No. 1’, page 4....
Nothing Like a Primary Source
VicHeritage's "Early Church Records" DVD. I had the good fortune to look at the DVD "Victoria's...
Old Colonist Festivities
A meeting was held in Melbourne on 3 August 1853 to consider what was believed to be a very...
Old Melbourne Cemetery 1
Marjorie Morgan, a genealogist and member of the Genealogical Society of Victoria for 40 years,...
Old Melbourne Cemetery 1837-1922
Marjorie Morgan has spoken to the Port Phillip Pioneers Group about the Old Melbourne Cemetery on...
Old Melbourne Cemetery 2
VIEW OF OLD MELBOURNE CEMETERY( Source: "Australasian" 25 May 1914 ) There is no entirely accurate...
Old Melbourne Cemetery RIP
Steam Shovel Excavating Old Melbourne Cemetery in 1930 After the Old Melbourne Cemetery closed to...
Old Melbourne Cemetery Update
Plan of Old Melbourne Cemetery c1920 Showing Gravestones( Source: Isaac Selby's "Memorial History...
Old Melbourne Newspapers
Miserable Rags or the Resplendent Light of Publicity: The Early Newspapers of Victoria 1838 - 1851...
On the Origin of the Batman Family
The Port Phillip Pioneers Group internet website bore fruit in August [2001] when a visitor to the...
Overses shipping to Port Phillip 1839
In 1839, less than four years after the first European settlers arrived at the site of present day...
Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan
Roman Catholic Priest Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was baptised...
Patrick Costello’s Pioneering Experiences
"IN THE DAYS WHEN THE WORLD WAS WIDE" (A Narrative of the Pioneering Experiences of Patrick...
Perils in the Early Days of Port Phillip
ROBBERYOn Saturday night, 13 January 1849, a highway robbery occurred near...
Peter Hunter
Master Of The Schooner "Enterprise" Last year I received a letter from a Mr. Eric Dickson, of...
Pioneer Arrivals: A Poem
Island Australia's vast southern coastUltimately reveals her bay's entry portalSailing through its...
Pioneer Echo – Back Numbers
#200 Aug-Sept 2017#203 April-May 2018#206 Oct-Nov 2018#209 June-July 2019#212 Feb-March 2020#215...
Pioneer Memorials
BATMAN MEMORIAL After Clare Bayne saw the above memorial to John Batman at the Old Melbourne...
Pioneer Pastoral Historians
Eighty years ago a book was published in Melbourne which has become a standard reference work for...
Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden
LOOKING ALONG THE LONG POND TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE OF THE GARDENS As part of Victoria's centenary...
Pioneers on the Internet
I am sure that our Pioneer Ancestors would be amazed at the resources that are available to us in...
Point Henry
If you look at a map of the Bellarine Peninsular, you will see Point Henry about 8 kms east of...
Point Henry – an Amazing Place
Susie Zada Shared Her Extensive Knowledge About Point Henry and the Geelong Area Point Henry has...
Port Phillip Before Separation
A Report on Professor Alan G. L. Shaw's Address to the 150th Anniversary Luncheon on 30th June...
Port Phillip Clergy – the Rev. Peter Gunn
The wonders of the internet, as an aid to family history research, never ceases to amaze me!...
Port Phillip Insolvencies
Background Ken Smith has indexed the names of insolvents that he comes across when searching early...
Port Phillip Photographers
Captain Augustine LUCAS is believed to have been Australia's first photographer. He was the master...
Port Phillip Pioneer Resources
Port Phillip ResourcesDownload
Portable Buildings in Early Australia
Professor Miles Lewis AM is one of Australia’s most notable Architectural historians and is...
Portland – the Truth, the Whole Truth and Anything but the Truth
Anne Grant and her colleagues have discovered that research often reveals surprising facts behind...
PPPG 40th Birthday Celebration
The 40th Birthday of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group was an event enjoyed by all who attended....
PPPG Newsletter No.1 Jan-Feb 1978
Michael Grogan thought members might be interested in the first newsletter produced by the Port...
Pre-European Aboriginal Culture in the Port Phillip District
D Gary Presland, historian, archaeologist, and author is an authority on Pre-European aboriginal...
Prelude to Eureka
As we approach the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Eureka Stockade much is being done to...
Pretty Sally (Sarah Smith)
For those of us who have travelled the old Hume Highway to Kilmore, we remember the ominous...
Princeland
A trivia question in the "Herald-Sun" Melbourne newspaper on 21 November 2014 asked "In the 1860's...
Probate Records
Probate for settlers in the Port Phillip District was generally granted by either the Supreme...
Prophecies of Mother Shipton
( As written by my father James Henry Thompson in the 1950s. Source unknown. ) While the...
Publicans’ Industrial Licences 1841
ANNUAL LICENSING DAYTuesday, April 20, 1841 This being the day appointed by the Act of Council to...
Punts
Within about three years of the founding of Melbourne in 1835, the Yarra River’s first punts...
Records of Early Policing in Victoria
Police Historian Gary Presland described early policing in the Port Phillip District and provided...
Redmond Barry, James Moore and William Foster Stawell
A touch of Irish luck for Port Phillip Little did the young settlement at Port Phillip appreciate...
Researching and Publishing a Family History
The thought of writing a book on a family history is quite daunting but author Elizabeth Sleigh...
Researching Thomas Halfpenny
For many years, I put aside my father's papers after his death fearing that they would just...
Resources for Researching Port Phillip Pioneers
Our July 2026 meeting featured a presentation from PPPG Committee member Bronwyn Quint on...
Richard & Rachel Hadditch of Lal Lal
The Hedditch family came from Dorset in England. Richard Charlton Hedditch was born on 3 July 1808...
Richmond in the 1840s
David Langdon, President of the Richmond and Burnley Historical Society, discussed the first land...
Robert Dodd
The Ship's Carpenter who Fell in Love As long as I can remember I knew that I would research my...
Robert Hoddle’s Early Survey Team
Robert Hoddlewith His Omnipresent Surveying Telescope The following are some notes on the early...
Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne is the only surviving nineteenth century great hall...
Rupertswood and the Clarke Family
Tony Menhennitt of Rupertswood Mansions Pty. Ltd. gave us an insight into the history of the...
Salt and Pepper and Princes Bridge
Lennox Bridge, on the Site of the Present Princes Bridge, Melbourne Artist: James Graham Boyd [1]...
Samuel & Maria McMillan
Samuel McMillan had been stockman, drover, shepherd, coachman, bush-mailman, horse breaker, hotel...
Samuel Hawkings and the Porcupine Inn
FROM SHOEMAKER TO FOOT SOLDIER Samuel Hawkings ( or Hawkins as he was sometimes known) was born in...
Samuel Jabez Pickersgill (from his handwritten notes)
I was born at Fiddler's Green, so called by the old bay fishermen because they could always rely...
Samuel Sherlock and William Higgins
I have been granted two membership certificates, one for Samuel Sherlock, my...
Sand, Sea & Money-Making: Brighton in the 1840s
"A History of Brighton" was the first book that Professor Weston Bate wrote after graduating with...
Secret & lies – the Search for Truth
Beverley Jacobson, who at present is the Honorary Secretary of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group,...
Serendipity: The Andromache Project and Tracing Names
Some members of the Port Phillip Pioneer Group have embarked on a Magical Mystery Tour and are...
Sergeant William Henry Johnson (c1815-1891)
Nothing is known of William Henry JOHNSON prior to 1839 when his journal...
She arrived with a bang: Jane Mortimer
On December 16th, 1839, Jane Mortimer, aged 8, arrived at Port Phillip from Hobart Town with her...
Short Stories about Pioneer Ancestors
STUART HAMILTON on his GG Grandfather, JAMES HAMILTON At the age of 12, James came to Australia...
Simon Staughton
Many of the pioneers of the Port Phillip time are claimed by our members, many are not. Jan Brooks...
Social Reformers of Old Melbourne
A Saint in the Slums When Robert Hoddle surveyed Melbourne he didn't want a repetition of 'The...
Some Early Military Deaths in Melbourne
Private William KIRBY of H.M. 4th Regiment of Foot (The King's Own Regiment) drowned...
Sorrento – the 200th Anniversary
Robert Barnes, Chairman of the Committee for the 200th Anniversary of the Collins Settlement at...
Sorrento Commemoration Report
The last time Robert Barnes addressed our meeting he described the preparations for the...
Sources and Records for Research at the GSV
There are many books and indexes to be found in the Genealogical Society of Victoria which are of...
St Andrews Brighton Historic Graveyard
On Sunday afternoon, 2 October 2011, a Dedication and Unveiling Ceremony was held at the recently...
St Heliers
John Hodgson (1799-1860), merchant, was the first owner of St Heliers before selling the property...
State Library Manuscripts
and the Fawkner Diaries Shona Dewar has worked in the Australian Manuscript Department at the...
Stories of Women of Our Time (1803-1851)
Five members of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group presented stories about one of their female...
The ‘Childe Harold’ Incident 1838
The first indication that anything was wrong was when Lewis Pedrana, overseer of Government works...
The Abduction Of Anne Jane Woods
James and Susan Woods and their two young daughters, Anne Jane aged two years and Margaret, seven...
The Alma Doepel – Tall Ships and Youth Training
Steam ships appeared in Australia in the 1830's but until the early 1950's both steam and sailing...
The Argus Newspaper
Janet Creed's father, Percy Spiden was employed by "The Argus" for 50 years. He progressed from a...
The Baptisms and Marriages of Edward Pryce, Gippsland’s Itinerant Minister
Edward Gifford Pryce was born on 26 August 1814 at Liverpool, Lancashire, England, the son of...
The Barque ‘Lady Kennaway’
The next time you feel a bit cramped in a seat think of these poor souls. The "Lady...
The Barque Ward Chipman
The Ward Chipman on which my ancestor, Robert Dodd, arrived at Port Phillip on...
The Cole Family
I am descended from a family of ‘green thumbs,’ but sadly, I didn’t inherit any of their natural...
The Commission of David Collins
On 7 February 1803 Lord Hobart wrote to David Collins to advise him that the King had commissioned...
The Cultural Diversity of the Rioting Irish, Melbourne 1843
1843 saw the first election held in the Port Phillip District to select a member of the...
The Curr Sisters
The memoirs written in the early 20th century by two daughters of Edward Curr provide fascinating...
The First Post Office, Melbourne
First Post Office at Melbourne 1841 (Source: Watercolour by W. F. E. Liardet, State Library...
The Foundation of Melbourne
Don Garden is President of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, author of many works...
The Grand Old Man of Brunswick Council
JOHN WOOD FLEMING 1837-1919 John Wood Fleming is my great grandfather. He is truly a Port Phillip...
The Great Ocean Road
Regarded as one of the most scenic roads in the world, the Great Ocean Road was constructed...
The Great Ocean Road: Who built It?
The year 2007 saw the 75th Anniversary of the opening of the Great Ocean Road and was marked with...
The Highlands and Islands Emigration Society
From the Scottish Highlands to Australia - Bernie McPhee Tells How His Family Fared The situation...
The History of Echuca and Moama
Situated on opposite sides of the Murray River, Moama & Echuca have interesting histories.They...
The History of the City Mission
Dr Roslyn Otzen, former School Principal and Deacon of Collins Street Baptist Church, received her...
The Kerrs – Scottish Immigrants
My sister and I did not have the interest of knowing grandparents, and even uncles, aunts and...
The Landscape of 19th Century Melbourne
Dr Gary Presland Describes Melbourne Prior to European Settlement. Dr. Gary Presland,...
The Last Surviving Daughter of a Pioneer?
Johanna Alice (Lalla) Gill Harding is possibly the last surviving child of a Port Phillip Pioneer....
The Letters of Captain Richard Bunbury and Sarah Bunbury
Laura Jocica address to PPPG General Meeting 13 September 2025 Dr Laura Jocicis a curator and...
The Long Farewell
Don Charlwood, author and historian, who passed away in 2012, was a member of the Port Phillip...
The Mantons of Port Phillip
Of the nine children born to Joseph Manton and Mary Ann Aitkens, four of their sons, Henry,...
The Matthews Family of Modewarre
Talk by Noelene Matthews PPPG member No. 1563 on the occasion of her joining the PPPG Hello...
The Melbourne Athenaeum aka The Melbourne Mechanics Institute
Address at the AGM on 9 May 2026 By Fiona Malcolm Fiona Malcolm, the Library Manager of the...
The Melbourne Riot of 1843
The year 1843 saw the first election of non-appointed members of the New South Wales Legislative...
The Melbourne Story
The Australian History section of the Museum of Victoria was found to be quite unpopular with the...
The Mysterious Henry Elgar & His Crown Survey
Elgar's Special Survey Henry Elgar was a West Indian merchant who purchased 5,120 acres in a...
The Mystery: Voyage 1854-55
So many of us are in awe of our amazing ancestors and their various voyages, however there is...
The Old Colonists’ Loyal Address
The first visit to Australia by a member of the British Royal Family commenced in 1867 when Prince...
The Origins of Kilmore, Victoria’s First Inland Town
"When I was young a frequent Sunday afternoon drive was up Pretty Sally Hill near Kilmore followed...
The Outer Circle Railway
Arthur Tonkin Illustrates the Route of the Outer Circle Railway Arthur Tonkin told us the...
The Pentonvillians
Pentonville, Millbank and Parkhurst were the prisons from which the exiles came. Their arrival met...
The Port Phillip District of NSW and the Establishment of the State of Victoria
THE DISCOVERY OF PORT PHILLIP Edmund Finn, a pioneer Irish journalist who used the pseudonym,...
The Port Phillip Games
In the middle of 1850 steps began to be taken for establishing public games in the Port Phillip...
The Records of William Alfred Hall
Many researchers into the early history of Victoria will have heard of the "Hall...
The Royal Historical Society of Victoria
Royal Historical Society of Victoria, 239A'Beckett Street, Melbourne. The Royal Historical Society...
The Royal Visit
When the "Alfred" arrived at Melbourne on 24 February, 1850, one of her cabin passengers...
The Sacking of Judge Wills
Janine Rizzetti grew up in Heidelberg where a neighbour recounted stories about 'mad' Judge Willis...
The Sunbury Industrial School
Having become involved with a book on Keilor pioneers, teacher and historian Joan Brogden was...
The Taking of the 1841 Census
On 2 March 1841 a census of all of New South Wales was held. For collection and statistical...
The Three Rs: Education Before Separation
Address at the General Meeting on 10 Sept 2022 DR. CHERYL GRIFFIN, FRHSV Cheryl...
The Tricky Business of Fact and fiction
by Moira McAlister (nee Barry-Cotter) Dr Barry Cotter was the first doctor in Melbourne, arriving...
THE WATSON AND HUNTER STORY
Watson and Hunter were a powerful Scottish pastoral company formed in Edinburgh in 1838. It had...
The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Melbourne
Wesleyan Chapel, Melbourne, Port Phillip District (Source: State Library of Victoria) The Wesleyan...
The Wreck of the “Isabella”
On 18 June 1844 the "Isabella" left Melbourne headed for London, England and Leith,...
The Yacht ‘Lady of St Kilda’
The "Lady of St. Kilda" was a yacht of about 136 tons that was launched in 1834 in Dartmouth,...
The Yuille Brothers
It is interesting how the lives of two brothers can be so different. George and William Cross...
They Rescued Us! Aboriginal Heroes on Country
Address at the PPPG General Meeting on 9 November 2024 by Dr Fred Cahir When Dr. Fred Cahir,...
Thomas Croft Sexton & Undertaker
Thomas Croft, more than anyone else, was involved in the running of St. James Burial Ground (now...
Thomas Foster Chuck – Photographer
In 1870 this enterprising photographer began collecting photographs of Victoria's early settlers....
Thomas Halfpenny – Fine Upstanding Convict
Listen to a short Audio File about Thomas by his descendant and PPPG President Paul Cronin...
Thomas Hastie
Pioneering Presbyterian Minister at Buninyong & Shelford Buninyong was surveyed in 1850,...
Thomas Millar
From Lasswade, Scotland Thomas was born on 11 April 1791 at Lasswade, Loanhead, Midlothian,...
Thomas Napier
In the Supreme Court - Napier v. Snodgrass (defendant) & Chisholm v....
Thomas Rea – Gunsmith and Balloonist
Thomas Rea was a native of Roxburghshire in Scotland. He is thought to have been baptised at...
Three Women of Williamstown
Historian Ada Ackerly chose the stories of three women associated with Williamstown who left a...
Timothy Lane – My Favourite Ancestor
Jill Bant talks about her ancestor, Timothy Lane ( 1810 - 1860 ), and her research experiences:- (...
Treasures at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria
Dr. Elizabeth Rushen, Executive Director of The Royal Historical Society of Victoria spoke about...
Trevor Hart
News was received at the May 2014 PPPG Meeting of the death of Trevor John Hart who had been the...
Two Squatters: a Poor Surgeon and a Rich Lunatic
TITLE: "Two Squatters: the Lives of Dr. George Playne and Daniel Jennings" SPEAKER: Dr. Martin...
Unearthing the Secrets of Little Lon
From the early days of Melbourne until around 1900, the area known recently as the Casselden Place...
Victoria: 170 Years in the Making
Retrospective and Perspective On 1 July 1851, the Port Phillip District was separated from the...
Victoria’s Early Church Records
A few years ago [this was written in 2005] the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages...
Victoria’s First Printing Presses
An Early Printing Press(** see note below) In the early days printing presses were in short...
Victorian Association of Family History
Visit the VAFHO website to find the latest information on downloading Birth, Death and...
Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages Registry
Margaret May of the Victorian BDM Registry discussed projects the Victorian Registry of Births,...
Victorian History Library (Prahran Mechanics Institute)
We have all seen Mechanics' Institutes dotted throughout the Victorian countryside. Christine...
View Other Websites of Interest
Links to websites which may be helpful for members researching the Port Phillip District, plus...
Wentworth House
22 Le Cateau Street, Pascoe Vale South An article in the Herald/Sun 23 May 2026 stated:...
Wesley Hall Gardiner
Meeting Place of the PPPG Click link to read article: Wesley-Hall-Gardiner
West Melbourne Presbyterian
The following testimonial was laid on the coffin of my great-great-grandfather, John Ross...
Who Did Henry Marry
Henry Batman, the brother of John Batman, was married on Thursday the 6th March 1834 in the Court...
William & Margaret Blay
From Plenty to Poverty William and Margaret Blay are my great, great, great...
William Beaton – Stonemason
OBITUARY. Mr. W. Beaton, Senr. ‘One of our oldest residents passed away on Friday last in...
William Bowman
Pioneer Settler, "Tarrawingee" The earthly remains of one of the earliest settlers of north-east...
William Buckley – a Skilful Survivor
At two o'clock on Sunday afternoon the 6th July 1835, William Buckley walked into the camp site...
William Hartley Budd
The William BUDD who swore an affidavit that Sarah SMITH aka ’Pretty Sally’ [see separate article]...
William Lockhart Morton
According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, William...
William Overton – an Enterprising Baker
William Overton, the son of Thomas Overton and his wife Mary, nee Lawrence, was baptised at the...
William Trotman
My great great grandparents, William Timbrel Trotman and Kezia (nee Williams) married in...
William Wareham – Swing Rioter
William Wareham married Esther Forbes, a young Irish bounty immigrant, in Melbourne, Port Phillip...
William Waterfield’s Diaries
In 1983, Ada Ackerly became aware of the Rev. William Waterfield when she was researching...
William Willis Sexton at St James’
Though there are a number of references to William Willis being an early sexton at St. James'...
Williamstown Wool Stores/Stockade
This large square building made of thick solid bluestone was originally built by William and...
Winifred Nealis
Winifred Jane Nealis arrived at Melbourne on the 6th December 1848 aboard the "Lady...
Women of Port Phillip
International Women’s Day occurs on the 8 March each year and celebrates the vital role women play...
Y-DNA Matching
There is a saying 'know thy family, know thyself' and I think we would all agree that we...
Yan Yean Water Supply System
With 8,400 km of waterways in its care, Melbourne Water is custodian of a significant heritage...
Your Money or Your Life
The following article came to light whilst I was looking through the "Geelong Advertiser"...