While looking for information about Frank Stone, I came across Alistair's website. I found it very enjoyable to read. It could provide interesting background information for family historians whose ancestors lived in those areas; he has consulted the relevant local history for each area to provide a glimpse of its history.I was impressed when he mentioned Sunbury's previous involvement in the wine industry and Judge Higgin's Harvester Judgement in relation to Sunshine. It does not give much biographical information about pioneers but that was not his intention.
He admits that there may be mistakes and I will deal with some as time permits. There is certainly no mistake as glaring as the one on the Frankston Library website where John Thomas Smith is described as a missionary who was an early pioneer near Frankston. Smith came from Sydney to teach at George Langhorne's mission to the aborigines but soon turned to commerce (hotels,theatre); the website probably confused Smith with William Thomas, assistant aboriginal protector, whose attempts to establish a mission for the Boon Wurrung on the Peninsula were delayed by Chief Protector Robinson, but finally set up camps at Tuerong, later Langwarrin and finally at Melway 44 F3.

WINDY HILL:GATEWAY TO EMPIRE.
Alister states that Essendon Aerodrome opened on 36 acres of "Niddrie". It was actually part of section 23 Doutta Galla, granted to the corrupt Major St John. The airport was first known as St John's Field.It was east of Bulla Rd (now Wirraway Rd) and pretty well enclosed by the northern section of Perimeter Rd. It was not until 1942 that the proposed closure of Bulla Rd caused a furious protest from the Tullamarine Progress Association. (Minutes Book 1937-1954.)
Niddrie was Henry Stevenson's farm bounded by Keilor Rd, the Grange Rd/Bowes Ave midline, the King/Fraser St midline and Treadwell- Nomad Rd. Later it was owned by the Morgan family for decades. Part of Niddrie is now within the airport, as is half of the diamond patterned subdivision of section 16 Doutta Galla, including Sam Mansfield's farm at the south west corner.(Morgan History, parish map, Keilor rates.)
Ironically, circa 1880, the western 310 acres and 23 perches of St John's was also owned by Henry Stevenson of Niddrie and his Bates' shorthorns mooed derisive comments at Robert McDougall's Booth's shorthorns on the 206 acres 2 roods of St John's to the east, which is now much of Strathmore North.(Memoirs of a Stockman, title documents, Broadmeadows rates.)
In the early 1900's Stevenson's portion was owned by Cam Taylor and was always green, even during the harshest summer, according to the late Gordon Connor, because nightsoil was dumped on it.

GLENROY AND PASCOE VALE:THE TOORAK OF THE NORTH.
Alistair says that Hadfield was named after a town in England and implies that it was given this name by 1891. Fawkner's square mile grant between the present Northern Golf Club and the cemetery was called Box Forest, a name retained for the road near its north east corner. It became known as Westbreen because of a school inspector (Between Two Creeks?)and was called Peachey-Kelly Town by locals (Jim and Peggy McKenzie) but was named Hadfield after Cr Rupert Hadfield, who was on the Broadmeadows council when its town hall was built on Pascoe Vale Rd in the late 1920's.