A few short weeks ago, all I knew about Sarah Wilson was that she and her sons,George and Robert, lived on Jamieson's Special Survey before the Kangerong Road Board's first assessment of 1864,and that the three of them were honoured on the DROMANA PIONEER PATHWAY and all of them signed a petition in 1861 requesting that Quinan's school be chosen instead of Nicholson's to become the Dromana Common School.

It was during my attempt to discover information about the Simpsons of Red Hill that I made contact with Margaret Connell (nee Simpson) through the assistance of Keith Holmes and was shown Connell genealogy compiled by Dot Watt (nee Connell.) Marg. and Dot told me to read Petronella Wilson's GIVING DESTINY A HAND.

Having read this book, I kept part of the Mornington News 2013 Anzac Edition because it related to a fascinating name change mentioned in the book. It was an article about Christie Johnstone who happened to be the grandson of Henry Tuck Junior, the fantastic bush poet, whose works are available from the Dromana Historical Society museum, and no doubt most local historical societies.

In A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA, Colin McLear gave details of all the children of councillor John Calvin Griffith of Dromana and Mary. Mary Who?

Having all the details of Christie Johnstone's descent from Oliver and Sarah Wilson, I entered "Henry Tuck, obituary" and got what seemed at first hand to be a useless response. But it wasn't, despite the journalist's usual error of rendering Griffith as Griffiths. Mary must have been Mary Dowling!

OBITUARY. DEATH OF MRS. C. DOWLING, By the death of Mrs Catherine Dowling, as mentioned in our last issue, another very old resident of the Mornington Peninsula has been removed from our midst. Mrs Dowling had reached the ripe old age of 86 years at the time of death. Although she was not suffering from any painful illness, she had been gradually failing under the pressure of her advanced years for some considerable time, and her death was not unexpected. She was possessed of an exceedingly kindly, warm hearted disposition, and very many old residents of the district, as well as the younger generation, will remember her as a true friend who had always a kindly word, and was ready to do a kindly action for anyone with whom she came into contact. The deceased lady was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, and reached Melbourne with her husband-who predeceased her by some nineteen years-in the ship " Marco Pauls " on Christmas Day, 1852. She was thus a colonist of nearly 59 years. After spending eight years, in other parts of Victoria, the Dowlings came to Stony Creek, now known as Shoreham, in the year 1860, and they were the first settlers to actually reside on their own holding in this locality, which was a portion of Tuck's Old Manton's Creek run. The country was, at the time of their acquiring the land, in a very rough state, and Mrs Dowling had many interesting incidents of hardships to relate. Her quaint sense of quiet humor always made these reminiscences pleasant to listen to. Their first homestead, a slab erection on the banks of the Creek, was totally destroyed by the collapse of a giant gum tree one very stormy night. In this instance Mr and Mrs Dowling had a very narrow escape from death. A large fork of the tree came down on each side of the bed upon which they were sleeping. Upon another occasion Mr Dowling, when some little distance away from the homestead, was forced by the ferocity of the dingoes to take refuge and spend the night up in the branches of a tree. Of Mrs Dowling's family three daughters and one son, all of whom are well known throughout the Peninsula, are surviving. These are Mrs J. C. Griffiths of Dromana; Mrs.Joseph Stanley of Balnarring; Mrs West, and Mr Christy Dowling, who was living at "The Glen" with his mother at the time of her death. The recent demise of one daughter, Mrs Henry Tuck, of Flinders, is sadly re- membered by her friends, as is also that of another daughter, Mrs J. West. A son, Mr Thomas Dowling, died some years ago, and another son expired in infancy. The remains of the deceased lady were interred in the Flinders general cemetery, when a very large number of people attended the funeral to show their last respects.
(P.3, Mornington Standard, 5-8-1911.)

My journal FAMILY CONNECTION ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA is now dwarfed by the information available in my other journals. No doubt a Tuck family history has been written so I don't intend to write one. One of my aims in family connections was to explain geographically how the two families became acquainted; usually, apart from during war time and, to a much lesser degree during the 1890's depression when many peninsula lads headed west in search of gold, the families were at least near-neighbours. Robert Rowley and Christine Edwards caused me months of wasted time until I found the neighbourly connection had been at Longford, Tasmania before Robert joined Henry Cadby Wells in a lime-burning venture near Sorrento, circa 1841.

How then would the Jennings family of Rye be related to the Tucks? Before settling at Rye in 1914, George Dodd and Hannah (Wiffen)had spent time farming at Flinders, Cranbourne and Camperdown. Their son,Cecil, married Catherine Tuck. (JENNINGS:A PIONEERING RYE FAMILY by Linda Berndt,P.20, Southern Peninsula News, 13-7-2010.)

CHRISTIE JOHNSTONE'S DESCENT FROM OLIVER AND SARAH WILSON.
Olver Wilson, a staunch Presbyterian, (1791-1851) and Sarah Spence (1811-1870) married in 1832. Their third child, Matilda (1837-1878) was born in Lifford,Ireland.With her parents and siblings, George (1833-1905)and Jane (1834-1863), Matilda came to Australia aboard the Argyle, landing at William's Town on 13-4-1841. Robert (1843-1894)was probably born in the Flinders Lane house. Oliver had become established as a shoemaker but after his death in 1851, rents rose dramatically because of the gold rush and George suggested a move to Jamieson's Special Survey (the Safety Beach area, east to Bulldog Creek Rd.)

On 18-4-1855, a double wedding was celebrated in Sarah's house on the Survey. Matilda married William Johnson(1832-1875) and her sister Jane, married George Young. When Jane died six days after the birth of her fifth child, Sarah (b.12-8-1863), the baby was brought up as one of Matilda's family.

William and Matilda had eight children of their own:
William (1855-1905) who never married;
Matilda(Tilly,1858-1936) who never married;
William Henry (1860-1860);
Robert Henry (1863-1936)who married Catherine Tuck in 1915, their children being William Henry, Christopher James, Margaret and Mary. N.B. THE CHRISTIE JOHNSTONE ARTICLE CALLS HIM ALBERT HENRY!
Rebecca Sarah (1866-1922) who never married;
Mary Jane (1869-?);
Sarah (1871-1927)who married W.G.J.Coulter in 1903, their children being Ruby and William George;
Charles Oliver (1875-1963) who never married.

JOHNSON BECOMES JOHNSTONE.
The first-born, Billy acted as head of the family when his own father died ten weeks after the birth of Charles Oliver.The family had been living on a 5 acre portion of 67A* Balnarring. Billy kept on receiving demands for payment of bills but they were not his debts. A member of another Johnson family was responsible for them,possibly the family which lived near Warrawee (Vansuylen's grant.) This so annoyed Billy that he changed the family name to Johnstone by deed poll.
*It seems that this is a mistake and that that the 5 acre block was on 67B. i.e.The 20-10-1913 assessment records that Christopher Oliver Johnstone, Red Hill farmer, was rated on 5 acres and buildings, part crown allotment 67B,Balnarring.

TO BE CONTINUED 67A LOCATION , 20 WANNAEUE.-SEE COMMENT 1.
Crown allotment 67A in the parish of Balnarring is between Shoreham Rd and Stony Creek with its north east corner being exactly opposite the Oceanview Ave corner. It is roughly indicated by Melway 190 J11. In the 1860's William Johnson and Matilda settled on 5 acres of it with the Wilsons. Petronella Wilson stated that 67A was granted to Robert Wilson in 1871 but the parish map indicates that 67A and 67B were both granted to Edward Gray.

INQUESTS.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Tuesday 29 September 1874 p 7 Article
... INQUESTS. Mr Candler held an inquest on the 25th inst, at Dromana. on the body of Edward Gray, aged 60 years, a farmer at Balnarring. On the 24th inst. the deceased and his son were burning trees, to clear a paddock, and i the son hearing a tree fall near the deceased I went up and found the ..

The farmers south and east of Arthurs Seat/Red Hill roads were not in the Kangerong Road District and their first assessment by the Flinders Road Board was on 13-6-1869. Ratepayers were listed geographically and the following excerpt starts in Tucks Rd near Shands Rd. Thomas Bullock 59 acres (west side where almost 97 acres were granted to F.Bullock in 1875), Hamilton Allen 115 acres(east side where 115 acres 2 roods and 30 perches were granted to A.Allan), George Young 16 acres, William Johnson 5 acres, George Wilson 32 acres,Edward Gray house and 53 acres, William Bayne 2059 acres (76AB of 208 acres between 67A and McConnell's 75AB, plus 630 acres granted across Shoreham Rd and obviously a lot leased.)

By 7-6-1870 George Young had gone, probably to Moorooduc on Andrew White's grants south of Vineyard Lane and on the west side of three chain (Old Moorooduc)road.After Jane (Wilson) had died in 1863, George had married the orphaned Janet White of "Mt Martha" in 1866 and through her George had probably come into ownership of the property or part of it. His address was certainly three chain road.

In 1870, George Wilson had 48 acres having occupied Young's 16 acres. William Johnson was not assessed on his 5 acres and may have been in Moorooduc; at about that time a William Johnson was considered ineligible to be on the electoral roll for the Mornington Division because he had sold his freehold land in the parish of Moorooduc. If this was so,George Wilson should have been assessed on the whole 53 acres of 67B but such logic usually escaped rate collectors who were too busy to worry about such details.



OH NO! MORE CONFUSION.PARISH OF WANNAEUE.
When I read the amusing tale of George and Ollie Johnstone in Hec Hanson's MEMOIRS OF A LARRIKIN, I assumed that George was related to the grantee of 20C Wannaeue but he wasn't! I have written a separate journal about George and Ollie.

Billy and his uncle George (Wilson)obtained a lease from the Crown in 1882 for crown allotment 20B (of section B)in the parish of Wannaeue. This consisted of 191 acres according to GIVING DESTINY A HAND but an 1872 Wannaeue map gives its area as 172 acres 2 roods and 2 perches. A later map shows that 20B was later split into 20B of 34 acres (granted to John Shand in 1905)and 20C of 130 acres (granted to W.Johnstone on 19-7-1902.) The reason for the splitting of the original 20B and the apparent loss of 8 acres was Roberts Rd, separating 20B on the west side from 20C, which was bounded by Shands, Roberts and Mornington-Flinders Rds.

Alexander Shand, who died during his son,John's term as President of the Shire of Flinders and Kangerong, had established an early steam sawmill beside Main Creek,which had the most constant supply of water in the area and William Johnson/Johnstone must have raised no objections to Alexander's waggons taking a short cut through his selection on the way to Red Hill. Eventually the shire declared his track a shire road.

My transcriptions of rate records only provide a snapshot of occupancy and of course the 1879 assessment does not mention William Johnson, George Wilson or any landholding of 172 (or 191) acres in the parish of Wannaeue.
This part of the parish, with Flinders, Red Hill (west of Red Hill Rd) and Dromana, was in the Central Riding.

1900.William Johnstone, 126 acres, c/a 20C,Wannaeue.
1910. R.H.Johnston,Shoreham farmer,80 acres, 20C, Wannaeue. Joseph Smith,farmer,Red Hill,50 acres,part 20c, Wannaeue.
1919 (the last assessment on microfiche)Robert Henry Johnstone (Billy's son and Christie Johnstone's father),38 acres and buildings,part c/a 20C, Wannaeue. Mrs Mary Cleave,Red Hill,24 acres and buildings,part 20C, Wannaeue. No other identified parts of 20C were assessed.


R. H. Johnstone, Red Hill, offering to purchase wood on Cape Schanck fronting his property, and calling at- tention to culvert near Dumbleton's as it is dangerous.- Tenders to be called for timber, and culvert to be at-tended to.(P.2, Mornington Standard, 6-6-1914.)

In referring to the timber/property on Cape Schanck, Robert Henry Johnstone was almost certainly discussing 20C Wannaeue. The above excerpt from a report of a Shire of Flinders and Kangerong meeting is the only article linking Johnstone and Cape Schanck and the only mention of Dumbleton in the area. It illustrated how vague locality names were in those days. The Johnsons were living on their 5 acre block on 67B, which was described (above)as being in Shoreham in one instance and and at Red Hill in another. None of the roads had names! How could Robert Henry say "the wood near Shand's Rd?" I can assure you that the following tender was for Limestone Road but very few people would know it.

No. 7-Metal, Main creek to Black's camp. (Black's Camp was on Boneo Rd halfway between Browns and Limestone Rds but there was another Black's Camp near the corner of Boneo and Long Point Road where the second Boneo (or Blacks'Camp) school was situated. Therefore Black's Camp described the general area.)

AND NOW FOR CHRISTIE JOHNSTONE'S STORY.
Christie Johnstone's story was in a Mornington News special Anzac Edition 2013, which also has an article about three Tuck boys. There was also a Southern Peninsula News Anzac Edition with exactly the same content. As I have had trouble finding this special edition online, and readers might too, I will reproduce Christie's story verbatim. There are three photos with the article (young Christie in uniform,the derelict 1877 Mantonville homestead and Christie outside his farm gate.) If family members would like copies of these, send me a private message.My comments are in brackets.

CHRISTIE CARRIES ON TUCK TRADITION by Peter McCullough.
Christie was born on 17 February 1920 at Main Ridge. His parents were Albert* Henry and Catherine Johnstone, and he had a brother,William Henry,and a sister. (His father was Robert Henry Johnstone.) His father was born in Dromana and the Johnstone family lived in Red Hill (i.e. 5 acres of 67B Balnarring.)"They were bushmen-splitting timber and that sort of thing." His father worked in Gippsland in his younger days, later moved to Main Ridge where his parents* had an orchard and grew strawberries. (Robert Henry was born in 1863,his father, William Johnson, died in 1875 and his mother, Matilda,nee Wilson,died in 1898. The orchard would have been on the 5 acres at RedHill/ Stony Creek/Shoreham and as his father died in 1875, it would have been more accurate to say that Robert's family had the orchard,with Robert's brother , William (1855-1905), who changed the family name to Johnstone, and was granted 20C Wannaeue, running the small farm with the assistance of his youngest brother, Charles Oliver (1875-1963.) C/A 20C would probably have been used for cattle grazing and getting wood for timber or firewood. Robert Henry must have returned shortly after his brother, William, died in 1905 and settled on 20C Wannaeue; he was assessed on the property in 1910, and probably earlier.)

Christie's mother, Catherine, was the eldest daughter of Henry Tuck Junior and the family moved to Flinders in 1924 to look after her father, who was almost 80 and to help him run the farm. His wife, Margaret had died in 1910. (The obituary of Mrs C.Dowling in 1911 -sixth paragraph of this journal- reveals that Henry had married Margaret Dowling.)

Christie went to school in Flinders, starting the same day as Eric Lucas who died just recently. It was a two mile walk to school and in those days he could walk to school and home again without seeing a car. He had more rides in a horse-and-buggy than he ever got in a motor car. As soon as Christie turned 14 he left school to work on the farm.

"Mantonville" was a dairy farm of 150 acres and all the milking was done by hand in those days. The family only milked about 20 cows as that was all they could handle.After the war, with machines, they were milking 50 cows. Kinross Dairies would collect the milk and take it to Edithvale. Christie milked cows for about 50 years and never took a holiday for 25 years. With a milk contract he had to be there every day. About 30 years ago he went out of the dairy business and has been running beef cattle ever since. However only 80 acres are left out of the original holding.

After Christie left school he did a lot of other work as well as milking cows twice a day: fence contracting, ploughing, wood cutting, and splitting posts. Just before he joined up in 1941 he worked at the Flinders Golf course for 12 months but he never hit a golf ball;"Working there five-and-a-half days a week,I reckon I saw enough of the golf course! Besides,I was still milking cows before and after work."

(I wonder if Christie knew the magnificent golfer in the surgical boot was related to him. Jane Darley,nee Wilson, was the daughter of George Wilson and niece of Matilda Johnson, nee Wilson.

William Edward Darley (born Jamieson's Special Survey, 1859-1938) and Jane's children were:
1. Florence Mary (1892-1943), spinster.
2. Annie Maude (1894-1967) who in 1937 married Joseph James Kay but had no children.
3. Kate Evelyn (1896-1981.) No issue. There may have been marriage detail which I neglected to record in my rush.
4. William George (1899-1971) bachelor.
5.Saville Maude (1910-1987)who in 1944 married Patricia Marie O'Donnell and had five daughters.
6. Lionel Edward (1913-1987)who in 1943 married Faye Chitts and had one daughter.

William George Darley,the fourth child and oldest son of Willam Edward and Jane (Wilson) was an outstanding golfer. He had a physical disability. When I googled "Darley, Flinders, Golf", I did find confirmation of this. He had to wear surgical boots as a result of being gored by a wild boar when he was seven.

Flinders Golf Champ Dies; 72 . - Google News
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19710825&id...
Flinders golf champ dies; 72 . Bill Darley, of Flinders, one of Victoria's best known golfers died in his sleep early yesterday,aged 72. He played his last round of ...

There should be a spate of "aces" down Flinders way in the next few weeks. The club recently staged an exhibition match between Eric Lucas and Bill Darley against Ken Lucas, and Heidelberg professional Al Whykes.
Bill gave the gallery a perfect demonstration of how to hole out in one. He did the trick at the 15th-and what a reception he received! Of course, it was no trouble for Bill and Eric, to go on then and win the match 2 and 1. (P.14, The Argus, 12-1-1954.)
What a coincidence that Christie's lifelong friend, Eric Lucas, was Bill's partner in that contest!)

NEXT PAR WON'T SUBMIT- PASTED ONTO JOHNSON-JOHNSTONE FILE
Farmers were classed as an "essential trade" and were barred
TO BE CONTINUED IN COMMENTS BOX.