The first reference I saw to this pioneer was in a document detailing a loan of 128 pounds and 9 shillings in August 1878 from Captain Henry Everest Adams of Rosebud to William Edwards of Dromana. The latter had mortgaged his land at Rosebud and a sketch of title mentioned Charles BLAKELEY and lot 86 of crown allotment 18 section A, parish of Wannaeue. Confusingly the solicitor had described this 2 acre block as crown allotment 86, section 18 Wannaeue as if it was a township block rather than a private subdivision. I wondered at the time if Charles was related to William Henry Blakeley, Australia's first sawmaker.

Later I saw a Charles Blakey shown as a grantee of crown allotments 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, all but about 40 acres granted to John Cameron of Stony Fields (Roxburgh Park) on the north west side of Cliffords Rd, which ran from the end of Pascoe Vale Rd to Sydney Rd until it was cut off by the north eastern railway; the northern boundary of these blocks is today shown by transmission lines. Charles was also the grantee of crown allotment 6 which is fairly well indicated by the bottom half of Melway 180 D7.

It was soon after that my internet problems started and I could not access the Yuroke parish map or the Lake v Jones case regarding lot 86 of 18 Wannaeue or the 1874 advertisement of 18 Wannaeue and land at Broadford by Charles' executor. My memory came up with a combination of Blakeley and Blakey when I was discussing 18 Wannaeue.

With my internet problems overcome and pangs of guilt for possibly misleading readers, I used an idle moment to find the right spelling of the surname.

By the way, crown allotment 18 Wannaeue consisted of 152 acres and is bounded by today's Pt.Nepean Rd, Adams Avenue, Eastbourne Rd and Jetty Rd. With lot 86 on the FJ's corner excised, it only consisted of 150 acres when Blooming Bob White or his father bought it, apparently calling it or the homestead Menstrys Hill. The advertisement in 1874 forgot to mention the prior sale of lot 86. The Lakes thought they were buying the whole 152 acres circa 1888 and tried to get Jack Jones kicked off his corner block. The farm was later owned by Thomas Bamford and the Pottons (who called it St.Albans and are recalled by a street name) before being involved in the two suicides of De Garis in the late 1920's.

DEATHS.
BLAKEY.—On the 7th inst., at the Alfred Hospital,Charles Blakey, aged 61 years.(P.4, Argus, 8-7-1873.)

Advertising
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Thursday 26 February 1874 p 2 Advertising
... Wannocuo, County of Mornington And 04a Or 3Sp, Parish of Broadford By Order of tho Executors of CHARLES ... ) BROADFORD Wannaeue, t, / Couuty of Morrdngton '" SALE by PUBLIC AUCTION Of 152a. 2r >flp , ?" ' Parish of .


MONDAY, DECEMBER 7.
SOMERTON.
13 Miles from Melbourne, On tho Sydney-road.
Sole by Public Auction of Allotment 6, Section 6, Parish of Yuroke,A Short Distance Nearer Town than the Somerton Hotel.
By Order of the Executors Under the Will of the late Charles Blakey.
For Positive and Unreserved Sale.
ALFRED BLISS has been favoured with instructions from Messrs John Munday and John Kyle to SELL by PUBLIC AUCTION, at the mart, on Monday, December 7, at twelve o'clock,
That block of agricultural land, containing 34a. Or. 30p , and forming the full Crown Allotment 6 of
Section 6, parish of Yuroko.
This land is unfenced, it is first-class grazing and agricultural land, is Surroundcd by farming properties,
and was purchased from the Crown by the late Mr.Charles Blakey. Title, Crown grant.(P.3, Argus, 5-12-1874.)

I presume that the title for 18 Wannaeue had been transferred from Charles Blakey to (his son?)Richard and this extract from Lake v Jones illustrates why I was confused about the spelling of the surname.

Mr Justice A'beckett said that the facts were uncontradicted. They were that in the year 1871 the defendant who is a fisherman bought a small piece of land for the sum of 4 pounds from the then registered proprietor Richard Blakeley.
LAW REPORT. SUPREME COURT. EQUITY COURT. FRIDAY, SEPT. 13. (Before His Honour Mr. Justice A'Beckett.) LAKE V. JONES.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Wednesday 18 September 1889 p 11 Article