Mornington really comes to life on Wednesdays when the famous Main St market is held weekly. Although the car parking provision is far better than what exists at most shopping strips, you need to get there early on a pleasant Wednesday. Like Sorrento, Mornington has many historic buildings, but Wednesday is not the day to see them. The thing I like best about the market is listening to Chris sing at the Empire St mall and watching the portrait artist from near Westernport at work on her masterpieces.

I love music and several buskers spread out along Main Street.It's nice to hear good singers without the endless chatter and voting off that goes on in T.V. talent shows. A new group,www.horizon.duo.com was performing near the Grand Hotel today and I had to stop for a listen. They were so good I had to buy a C.D. The girl could match any female vocalist I have ever heard and I am very fussy. While I was listening, I was looking at the Grand...and, you know what I'm like.


Mornington was originally known as Schnapper Point in the early days, and like Rosebud was mainly inhabited by fishermen. The fish population in the bay was declining by 1877 and the use of small mesh nets in the first decade of the 1900's brought protests from local fishermen such as William Ferrier (subject of a journal.) However the Hutchins family of Mornington managed to make a living for decades after most professional fishermen had turned to other occupations or areas.

It was gazetted as a township in 1861, as was the township of Osborne* which straddled the mouth of Balcombe Creek.Osborne was expected to be the main settlement, so like William's Town (shortly after Batman and Fawkner's feud started) it was royally named. Osborne was Queen Victoria's seaside residence on the Isle of Wight and the streets were named after her children, Helena, Augusta, Maude etc. Osborne was not a great success but little Schnapper Point received a gift that aided its development, the jetty. (*That is according to the Moorooduc parish map. The following seems to indicate this is wrong.)

TUESDAY, 10th FEBRUARY.
To Follow tho Government Land Sale. Important Sale by Auction of Shelburne House,
The Residence of Robert Byrne, Esq. Schnapper Point, Fronting the Bay.To Precede the Sale of 70 One-Acre Allotments, in the same Township.
WM. TENNENT and Co. are instructed by the proprietor, Robert Byrne, Esq., to SELL by public AUCTION, at their rooms, on Tuesday, 10th inst.,Immediately after tho Government Land Sale of Property at Osborne,
The substantially-built house, in the fast-rising township of Schnapper Point, known as Shelburne House,
delightfully situated fronting tho Esplanade and Bay,and within one mile of the pier.
The property comprises two acres of ground, on which is erected a very commodious house of five rooms, detached kitchen, with very largo verandah ; also an outhouse, nearly finished, capable of being made into four rooms, together with coach-house, stabling, fowl-house, piggeries, &c, with tank holding over 10 000 gallons of rain-water, and tho whole is most substantially fenced in.

The township of Schnapper Point is rapidly advancing. A substantial stone pier, of some 300 feet, has been built; a steamer runs regularly near this very property, and, in the course of a year or so, there is no doubt that this township will become the most favorite resort near Melbourne.

On New Year's Day, 1857, two steamers took excursion parties to Schnapper Point (P.1, Argus 30-12-1856, Steam-ship Advertisements.)One must presume that the passengers were rowed ashore.

SCHNAPPER POINT.-A large and influential meeting of tho shareholders and inhabitants of Schnapper Point and neighbourhood was held at the Tanti Hotel on Saturday, the 28th of March last, to take steps to expedite the formation of tho jetty at Schnapper Point. A. B, Balcombe, Esq., J. P., in the chair. After a few introductory remarks from the Chairman, stating tho object of the meeting, and the report of the Chief Engineer laid before the Legislative Assembly this session on the projected harbour and jetty at Schnapper Point having been read, and the necessity of obtaining an answer from Government respecting their intentions with regard to the proposed works considered, the following resolutions were proposed to the meeting, and carried unanimously ; First: Proposed by Mr. Henry Howard, and seconded by Mr. John Barrett
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that, | steam communication being now established between this place and Melbourne, a jetty becomes absolutely necessary, to prevent the place from retrograding from the want of
proper landing accommodation."
Second. Proposed by R. Byrne, Esq.,and seconded by Mr.John Carruthers :-" That the following gentlemen do form a deputation to wait upon the Honourable the Commissioner of Public Works, to explain to him the urgent necessity of carrying out the jetty at Schnapper Point, and for which the sum of ?4,600 has been placed upon the estimates for 1857, and to request Government support for the above object; and that the following gentlemen be asked by the chairman to form such deputation for that purpose:-W. J. T. Clarke, Esq., M.L.C. ; Captain Anderson, M.L.A.; J. T Smith, Esq, M.L.A. ; the Mayor of Melbourne,F. J. Sargood, Esq.. M.L.A.; A.B. Balcombe , Esq., J.P.; Captain Cole; S. Cowderoy, Esq.; j J. Armstrong, .Esq.; E. Lintott, Esq.; S. Toynbec, Esq. ; and the mover." (P.6, Argus, 2-4-1857.)

THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS.
Robert Byrne, an auctioneer, was later a trustee of Mt Martha Park and a meeting chaired by Balcombe expressed its disgust that he had Sam Sherlock stripping wattle bark in the park, which was originally reserved as a site for the Governor's seaside mansion. See the advertisement re Shelburne above (in italics.) Balcombe (to whom the water fountain in the Empire St Mall is dedicated)had a Run earlier which included the township site and called his pre-emptive right "The Briars" after the family estate where the family had befriended Napolean Boneparte. Big Clarke may have had part of Jamieson's Special Survey by this time or he may have been looking after the interests of his son-in-law, James Hearn. Amazingly I could find no notice regarding the Hearn-Clarke wedding on trove and found Big Clarke's obituary via google.
DEATH OF MR W. J. T. CLARKE.
Mr W. J. T. Clarke, whose name has been almost a household word with Victorian colonists for many years past as the richest man in Australia [he was generally known as "Big Clarke"], died at his residence, Roseneath, Essendon, yesterday afternoon, at 20 minutes to 2 o'clock, in the 73rd year of his age. etc.(P.6, The Brisbane Courier, 24-1-1874.) The obituary makes no mention of James Hearn but Lenore Frost's HISTORIC HOUSES OF ESSENDON did. Lenore stated that Big Clarke had died at Roseneath, the residence of his son-in-law, James Hearn. Roseneath was later the home of William Salmon who donated Salmon Reserve to the council and after whom Salmon St (Melway 28 G1)was named. James Hearn bought about 2800 acres from the Crown on 26-2-1856 (Mt Martha between Bay St and Hearn Rd and 1404 acres as far east as Tubbarubba, adjoining Jamieson's Special Survey.)

Excerpt from my DROMANA PIONEER PATHWAY JOURNAL.
On 6-4-1891, Fred Simpson (of Seaview at Red Hill) started work at Blakeley's, part of which 140 acres is now occupied by the Consolidated School. Henry Ault's 140 acre block (Joseph Pitcher's grant, Melway 190 E-F5) was south of Blakeley's and had been bought by George Hoskins whose nephew, George William Russ was working with him. Fred's father, Joseph, did a fruit and vegetable run, which included Ellerslie, the beachside retreat of Sargood, whose main residence was the famed Rippon Lea* at Elsternwick. On occasions, Fred would do this delivery run. And who should be a servant at Ellerslie but Emily Russ, who was highly regarded by Mrs Sargood, who supplied Fred's future wife with a glowing reference. Fred met his brother in law (as they worked on 72A and 72B) before he met his bride.) I bet Emily knew all about Fred before he arrived at Ellerslie!

(* Frederick James Sargood, Esq. of Croydon, co. Surrey, England, who was one of the members for Melbourne in the old Legislative Council, and in 1856, at the first election under the new constitution, was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly for St. Kilda; m. 30th October, 1830, Emma,daughter of Thomas Rippon, Esq. (who was for several years chief cashier in the Bank of England), the brother of Dr. John Rippon,and son of the Rev. John Rippon, Baptist minister of Up-Ottery, co. Devon, &ndd. 16th January, 1871. He had issue by her (who d.20th October, 1884)- Can you see how Rippon Lea got its name? His son Frederick Thomas would have been at Ellerslie.
Residences ? Rippon Lea, East St. Kilda,Melbourne ; and Ellerslie, Mornington, Victoria, Australia.
From ebook of Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the colonial gentry.)
J.T.Smith is the subject of one of my journals J.T.SMITH AND HIS ELECTORS. Smith,who came from Sydney to teach at George Langhorne's mission on Melbourne's botanical gardens site, soon turned to business. He built Melbourne's oldest surviving residence (google Muzza of McCrae to see the photo) and the Ascot House in Fenton St, Ascot Vale. He was also the grantee of Crown allotment 19 Moorooduc,whose north east boundary was Boundary (Canadian Bay) Rd, and built a house called Nyora.
After his death it became the residence of Henry Slaney and, soon after his death,the Ranelagh estate. A new history board near the J.T.Smith Reserve and monument, discusses the Burley Griffin- designed estate.

Henry Howard,publican of Schnapper Point, had insolvency problems in 1863 and was thanked by the acclimatisation society for sending them a native bear in 1864. The 1863 problem probably damaged his standing but it was completely destroyed when he committed a double murder at the Frankston Hotel in 1875.


CAPTAIN COLE.
To the Editor of the Argus.
Sir,-The mercantile community of Melbourne will never, surely, allow such an old and esteemed colonist as Captain Cole to set sail for England without some public demonstration of the respect and esteem he is held in by all classes of the colonists. No time is to be lost, as report says, the stern old Captain sails in the Eagle.
You will oblige by allowing this suggestion a small niche m your valuable journal.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
A MERCHANT. Melbourne, 10th May, 1855.

It would not surprise me to find that Big Clarke was a good friend of Benjamin Cowderoy. He probably received a good valuation for the required portions of his estates at Rockbank and Sunbury/Clarkefield.

Benjamin Cowderoy, Esq., and Robert Hepburn, Esq., to be valuators and arbitrators for the lands required for the Melbourne and Murray River, and Geelong and Ballaarat Bailways. (P.5, Argus, 21-8-1858.) Benjamin might have already bought some land at Schnapper Point for his small investors. He had a proposal for Geelong, where this meeting was held, and where the jetty had recently been lengthened.
VICTORIA FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY The meeting, of the Victoria Freehold Land Society, held at the Masonic Hall on Friday evening, was well attended; His Worship the Mayor presided until other engagements compelled him to leave, when the Chair was taken by the Rev. A. Love. A deputation from Melbourne, consisting of S. M. South, Esq., J. Houston, Esq., and B. Cowderoy, Esq., were in attendance, the latter of whom (the managing director of the society) read the following half yearly report of proceedings which had been presented to the members at Melbourne.(P.5, Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, 16-10-1854.)

MELBOURNE,
Wednesday Evening. CENTRAL PROVINCE ELECTION.
The election of a member to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Hood, took place this day. There was only one candidate nominated, namely Captain Cole, who was proposed by Mr. Hull and seconded by Mr. Hammill. There being no opposition, the Returning Officer declared Captain Cole duly elected. (P.2, Bendigo Advertiser, 29-9-1859.)

ELECTION.-I hereby give notice that at the Election held by me on this day tho election fell by show of hands on Captain W. A. D. Anderson, on whom I therefore declared the election to have fallen, and a poll having been demanded I declared the polling will take place on the 21st day of the present month of October, commencing at Nine o'clock a m., and closing at Four o'clock p.m., on the same day, at the following-named places, viz. :-At Eltham, Anderson's Creek, and Yan Yean In tho Electoral Division of Evelyn, and at Eummemering near the Dandenong Bridge and at Schnapper Point, In the Division of Mornington.
A.B.BALCOMBE, Returning Officer. 10th October, I856. (P.8, Argus, 13-10-1856.)

This site was purchased by Alex Balcombe, Edward Lintott and Harry Goodall (church trustees) from John Armstrong for ?70 who donated the money back to the church building fund.(St Peter's C of E church, No 7, Mornington Historic Walk.)

SCHNAPPER POINT.-LAND for SALE, fronting
the Grand Esplanade, at Schnapper Point. Apply to S. Toynbec, solicitor, 4 Collins-street west.
(P.8, Argus, 25-6-1858.)

WHAT ABOUT ME-EE?
Dromana residents were hopping mad that Schnapper Point, with a smaller population, had a jetty while busting Dromana (supplying timber from Arthurs Seat for railways, jetties and firewood, as well as wattle bark and possibly green granite from McCrae)did not. (You'll have to read the article on trove.)
JETTY AT DROMANA, NEAR SCHNAPPER POINT.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 29 October 1858 p 4 Article
... JETTY AT DROMANA, NEAR SCHNAPPER POINT. Yesterday, at 12 o'clock, a deputation of severa ... had a much larger popula- tion than Schnapper Point, a store and post 1 oftic'o were already erected, ... of a jetty at the) forruor place. The deputation, whioh was In- troduced by the Hon. J. B. Bennett, ... 1340 words

However, Dromana finally got its pier too and, at the urging of Peter Pidoto, it was extended into deeper water. Trading between the two places became easier and the tourist trade helped both towns to grow.
MR S.P. Townsend has sold the Enid, which has been used this last eighteen months for trading between Mornington, Dromana, and Melbourne, to go to the South Sea Islands. The Hunnah Moore, a larger boat, has replaced the Enid. (P.2, Mornington Standard, 17-4-1909.)

Direct communication with Melbourne by water is now being arranged for. "The Enid" which was used last year between Mornington and Melbourne, has been sold by Mr. J. G. Aikman M.L.C. to Mr. S. P. Townsend. Mr. R. Parry has leased the boat again, and the first trip will be made this week. Arrangements are being made with the fruitgrowers of Red Hill to call at Dromana for cargo.(P.2, Mornington Standard, 18-5-1907.)

TOWNSEND.-On the 22nd November, Cadet Philip Mervyn Maunsell Townsend, aged 16, beloved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Townsend, of Mornington. He was lost with his ship, the t.s.s. Aparima, torpedoed by a German sub-
marine. (P.11, Argus, 15-12-1917.)

It is possible that S.P.Townsend was descended from John Townsend (b. 1840, d.1918), a very early pioneer of Dromana and grantee in 1885 of 150 acres at Rosebud where his son James was born (31C and 30B, Wannaeue, at Melway G 4-6 roughly.) John was building a slaughteryard at Dromana for H.W.B.C. Wilson in 1904 when Wilson's young son was dragged from a nearby waterhole by his father, unfortunately too late. John Townsend brought the lad back to life using mouth to mouth,the earliest use of this resuscitation method I have come across on trove.A relationship to John, who was familiar with the Red Hill area from very early times, might explain the desire to help the Red Hill fruitgrowers who waited nearly two decades for a railway. The Townsend name seems to be first associated with Mornington in 1898.


The Grand Coffee Palace was designed and built by architect William Pitt for Mr. Cornelius Crowley in 1892. Opulent coffee palaces sprang up across Australia in the 1880's in response to the temperance movement which sought to promote alcohol free hotels. Crowley owned the Cricketers Arms Hotel next door and shortly after the opening of the Grand, he transferred the liquour license from the Cricketer's Arms to the Grand. The Grand Hotel was a two story brick building with a central tower. Originally a carriage way went through to the rear with stables to the west side and accommodation built over the stables. The hotel undertook extensive renovations in 1978. In the lounge Bar off Main Street original brickwork can be seen and throughout the rooms on the ground floor a display of photographs of early Mornington lines the walls.
(Web page-MORNINGTON HISTORIC WALK No 19.)

OLD MORNINGTON LANDMARK TO GO
A landmark in the Peninsula district for more than 60 years, the tower on the Grand Hotel, Mornington, is to be demolished. As it has been noticed swaying dangerously in high winds, it has been declared unsafe. At one time the tower served as a guide to mariners, and is still used by yachtsmen and fishermen as a land mark.
(P.3, Argus,16-7-1948.)

OWNERS AND LICENSEES OF THE GRAND HOTEL,MORNINGTON.

1896 L. C.CROWLEY
1899 L. CORNELIUS CROWLEY TO CECILIA POWELL
1900 L. - POWELL TO SARAH STRONGE
1902 ? MR CLAIRE STRONGE (RETURNED FROM BOER WAR.)
1904 L. OWEN CONNORS, J.O.BOWMAN
1905 L. J.O.BOWMAN
1907 L. JOHN HENRY CHANT TO MARY JOSEPHINE GOLDBERG
1909 ? MR AND MRS LOUIS HARRISON
1912 ? LOU HARRISON (RE STINKY DRAIN NOT BEING HIS FAULT.)
1914 L. AGNES HARRISON
1916 ? LOU HARRISON (SON, GEORGE KILLED IN WAR.)
1920 L. DORA GARDEN, CLARENCE D. ROBERTSON TO FLORENCE HELENA DOWNIE (DORA WAS NAUGHTY!)
1921 L F.H.DOWNIE TO ELSIE HARRIS
1922 L. MR C.D.ROBERTSON
1923. SEEMS TO BE NO REFERENCE TO THE GRAND HOTEL, MORNINGTON. A NAME CHANGE?
1927 L. GEORGE EMERY
1928 L. MR GEORGE EMERY
1932 ? MR L.NUGENT (DONATING PREMIERSHIP CUP TO M.P.F.L.
1937 O MR J.SHARP-BROWN
1940 L. J.B.NAUGHTON TO ELEANOR A.PRY
1946 L. MRS GRIEVES (CRICKET MATCH BETWEEN THE GRAND AND THE ROYAL.
1948 O. MR. MADDEN
1948 L. ALLAN DOWNES
1953 L. ALLAN DOWNES (RE SHIRLEY COLLINS CASE.) Incidentally, the George Bishop Reserve containing the playground near the Dromana Pier is named after the Dromana policeman, a recipient of the Police Valour Medal, who was involved in this case.

James Ogilvie Bowman, former proprietor of the Grand, had a two week stay in Mornington in 1907 after returning from New Zealand, but after keeping a hotel in Shepparton and then moving to the Rising Sun in Melbourne, after saying he was going out of his mind, he committed suicide in 1908.(Summary of two articles I had corrected and pasted but accidentally deleted.)