HELP!!! JOHN PASCOE FAWKNER, SQUATTER.
itellya
Alistair Rosie makes repeated references to John Pascoe Fawkner being an early squatter in the Pascoe Vale area. His "run" was supposed to have been named Belle Vue Park. He certainly owned Belle Vue Park, having purchased it in 1839 but after a total of twenty hours trying to confirm or dispel this claim, including two hours this morning, I am no closer to a solution. There is no mention of depasturing licences in Port Phillip District in 1838 on trove and the only other connection I have found between Fawkner and squatting (except for his strident opposition to squatters)will be detailed later.
This morning's search was in vain but, as usual, turned up some interesting information. A website about St Kilda explained the origins of two names associated with the former shire of Broadmeadows. The aboriginal name for the St Kilda area was Yuroe Yuroke which described grinding stones found at the base of the red sandstone cliffs. Walert-gurn was the term for possum skin rugs. These were Boon-wurrung words, this clan occupying Melbourne's coastal area to Werribee as well as the Mornington Peninsula etc. I believe that Wollert (as well as Yuroke) was a parish name. Another website described how squatters erected bells on large poles and would ring them if their stations were attacked by aborigines. The bell would alert neighbours (living 10 or more miles away) to danger and also summon help. This would probably explain the name of Bell Post Hill in Geelong.
One criticism of J.P.Fawkner was that he was a hypocrite. Although his land purchases at Pascoeville and central Coburg (Jika Jika), Box Forest (Will Will Rook), sections 7, 10 and 13 (Tullamarine) and 22C (Doutta Galla) and perhaps others, were intended to provide his beloved yoeman farmers with the opportunity to obtain freeholds, he had actually been a squatter himself before the crash of 1843. Richard Broome's "Between Two Creeks", a history of Coburg, provides the information that Fawkner's Run was called Moonjettee (or something similar; I am relying on a 20 year old recall)from which the name of Monegeetta is derived.
To my knowledge, no depasturing licences were issued for the Port Phillip District before Fawkner bought Belle Vue Park but Fawkner may have squatted there illegally. I would much appreciate it if anyone can provide evidence of squatting licences being issued before 1939 or Fawkner actually occupying land at Pascoe Vale before he bought it. Just an afterthought, Governor Bourke visited John Aitken at Mt Aitken, west of Sunbury, so perhaps licences had been issued before 1839. However as he had instructed Robert Hoddle to survey from Batman's Hill (Spencer St Station site)along the moonee moonee chain of ponds very early, to enable sale of land in Jika Jika and Doutta Galla, it is unlikely that the Governor would have approved of squatting in those parishes.
by itellya
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Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.
Comments
janilye on 2012-03-28 19:44:57I know you may think the following CSreLand record is irrelevant because of the dates.
However the the remarks attached refering to the squatter/grazier George Coghill set me thinking that perhaps John Pascoe may have had previous partnerships.
CSreLand
Item:2/7855
Reel:1125
FAWKNER, John Pascoe
1842 to 1850
see also COGHILL, George (1850)
As you know George Coghill had vast tracts of land around Portland Bay.
janilye on 2012-03-28 19:56:471841 Census
Surname:FAWKNER
John P
Return:0
Pascoe House,
Moonee Moonee Ponds,
County Bourke,
District Port Phillip
Item:[4/1244B]
Page:101
Reel:2509
janilye on 2012-03-28 20:15:46Here is his obituary taken from the Launceston Examiner 9 September 1869;
On Saturday the telegraphic cable conveyed the intelligence that John Pascoe Fawkner was dead. Mr. Fawkner was within a few weeks of being seventy-seven years old, having been born in London, on 20th October, 1702.
At a very early age he came to this colony, and for some little time was proprietor of the Cornwall Hotel in this town. The first newspaper ever published in Launceston, the Advertiser, was brought out by Mr. Fawkner on the second Monday in January 1829. The late Robert Wales, Esq., was editor for the first week, but in consequences of some dispute, at the and of that time Mr. Fawkner assumed the editorial chair, and continued to act in that capacity until he sold the journal to Mr. H. Dowling in the middle of 1831, and, as many of our old supporters are aware, it was incorporated with the Examiner in 1847.
Mr. Fawkner and a few others left Launceston for Port Phillip in 1835; and whilst John Batman claimed to have been the first pastoral settler in the province, there seems to be little doubt that Fawkner was the founder of Melbourne. The deceased gentleman has always occupied a prominent position in the public affairs of the sister colony. The first newspaper published in Victoria, was started by Fawkner in 1838; it was a manuscript sheet, written chiefly by his own hand the Port Phillip Patriot. When representative instititions were conferred on those colonies, and Australia was separated from New South Wales, Mr. Fawkner was elected a member of Parliament, and he continued to be a member of the Legislative Council to the day of his death.
itellya on 2012-03-28 20:27:33There certainly was a relationship between Coghill and Fawkner. The following is pasted from my EARLY LANDOWNERS:PARISH OF TULLAMARINE.
SECTION 13.
As the Mansfields owned land in both allotments, details of both allotments need to be read in conjunction with each other. See J.P.Fawkner?s 80 lot subdivision of 13B and the southern half of 13A superimposed on Melway map 4.
ALLOTMENT A.
This allotment consisted of 492 acres and was granted to John Pascoe Fawkner and George Coghill in December 1850.On 28-9-1852 the allotment was bisected with Coghill taking ownership of the northern half and Fawkner the southern 246 acres. Fawkner then subdivided this land and 13 B (south of Mansfields Rd). The original purchasers of this land are shown on Melway map 4. Lots consisted of about 6 ? acres.
Purchasers in 13 A whose names persisted in the area for many years were George Emerson (family associated with the area at the start of Loemans Rd), William Trotman (family associated with land between the two parts of Waltham, Glenarthur, Springfield and Greenan, all on the northern side of Somerton Rd at Greenvale), and Donald Gray (land retained until 1915 at least by Agnes).
George Coghill mortgaged his property Glencairn (the northern half of 13 A, 17B and the part of section 16 s/w of Bulla Rd) to Henry Miller for 2100 pounds on 9-6-1856. Perhaps he needed the money to build his boiling-down works on Glencairn.
itellya on 2013-11-04 06:32:02Here's the run that John Pascoe Fawkner had held. His stern opposition of the squattocracy reminds me of the former slaver who wrote "Amazing Grace". Talk about born-again!
J.Pascoe Fawkner. Moonejettee to F W Dalimore.
Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1847 - 1851) Saturday 26 January 1850 Edition: MORNING p.4.
If it puzzles you that the above is listed in the Westernport District, being east of Mt Macedon, on the Sunbury Lancefield Road,you need to read my journal:
SQUATTERS IN THE WESTERNPORT DISTRICT:HOW VAGUE!
itellya on 2013-11-04 10:05:55Given that the run was north of James Purves'"Chinton" (Melway 509 K10) and south of Moranding (509 K8); that dry creek crosses the Hume Highway near Wondong (map of Moranding); that Beveridge's Run would be near Beveridge and James Malcolm's Run (near Mercer's Vale*) would be near "Olrig" (south of Mt Ridley*); that Brock Hill is between Chintin and Monegeeta Nth; and that Boyd Creek crosses Romsey Rd about 4km east of Chintin,I am willing to bet that the Bellvue run was roughly between Mt Macedon and Pretty Sally.
* BROADMEADOWS: A FORGOTTEN HISTORY.