Robert Hoddle’s Early Survey Team

Robert Hoddlewith His Omnipresent Surveying Telescope The following are some notes on the early surveyors at Port Phillip who worked under Robert Hoddle and Robert Russell: BUTLER, Henry (Cavendish?) Danvers (Assistant Surveyor) – Had assisted Major Thomas...

The Mantons of Port Phillip

Of the nine children born to Joseph Manton and Mary Ann Aitkens, four of their sons, Henry, Frederick, Charles and John Augustus spent time in the Port Phillip District as did their cousin Gildon Manton . Joseph Manton  Joseph Manton, born 1776 in England, was a...

Glen Eira Warts and All

Carol Stals Brought the House Down with Her Talk on Glen Eira As a resident of Glen Eira, Carol Stals has developed a keen interest in its history. She has been a member of the Port Phillip Pioneers Group for many years, a member of the Glen Eira Historical Society...

Flagstaff Gardens

A Pleasant Sunday Afternoon in the Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne  Chris Manchee who has worked for the City of Melbourne for twenty years, became known as a history guru because he had heard of John Batman! He gives guided tours of the Flagstaff Gardens for the...

Victoria’s First Printing Presses

An Early Printing Press(** see note below) In the early days printing presses were in short supply. This meant that the presses that had been imported were kept in use for much longer than would normally have been the case. And then when a press was able to be...

Richard & Rachel Hadditch of Lal Lal

The Hedditch family came from Dorset in England. Richard Charlton Hedditch was born on 3 July 1808 in Gillingham, Dorset, the son of Samuel Hedditch and his wife Sarah, nee Charlton who had been married on 16 April 1807. Sarah Charlton came from the nearby village of...