James Venn Morgan was known affectionately as ‘The Father of Kew’. Born in Somersetshire on February 21, 1823, he sailed to Australia in April, 1851. James V. Morgan, was a member of one of the first parties to leave for the diggings. At Chewton, near Castlemaine his party tried their luck in an abandoned shaft, and in two weeks returned to Melbourne after having won 35lb weight of gold. James Venn Morgan was content with his success, and induced his partners to invest their money with him in land. After obtaining the advice of a friend, the party negotiated with Mr Samuel Watts, of Collingwood, who had recently purchased land from the Crown, and from him they took over at £15 an acre about 32 acres of land in the district that is now known as Kew. This land extended from where the Kew Post-office now stands to the locality of the Boroondara Cemetery. Here it was that Mr Morgan decided to settle, and, after having had the land surveyed, the partners apportioned it by drawing straws for the four sections into which it had been divided. One of them sold his holding later in the year for £100 an acre, and was sorry for it afterwards. In 1853 Mr. Morgan built the first house in Kew, and this house is the one in which he still resides. Here with his wife, he settled down to market gardening and dairying. So successful was the new venture that he induced his father and other members of the family to come out to Australia to assist him. Gradually the district became settled, Mr. Morgan parted with a portion of his holding, and subdivided and built on the remainder, which he still retained. In 1884 he found himself in a position to retire from active business.He celebrated his 100th birthday in 1923. He was later to die in the same year. The Argus, 17 January 1923.Rare and historic hand-tinted framed portrait of one of the founding pioneers of the district.Hand tinted photograph in a gilt frame of the Kew pioneer James Venn Morgan (1823-1923).james venn morgan, kew - pioneer families, kew - landowners

James Venn Morgan was known affectionately as ‘The Father of Kew’. Born in Somersetshire on February 21, 1823, he sailed to Australia in April, 1851. James V. Morgan, was a member of one of the first parties to leave for the diggings. At Chewton, near Castlemaine his party tried their luck in an abandoned shaft, and in two weeks returned to Melbourne after having won 35lb weight of gold. James Venn Morgan was content with his success, and induced his partners to invest their money with him in land. After obtaining the advice of a friend, the party negotiated with Mr Samuel Watts, of Collingwood, who had recently purchased land from the Crown, and from him they took over at £15 an acre about 32 acres of land in the district that is now known as Kew. This land extended from where the Kew Post-office now stands to the locality of the Boroondara Cemetery. Here it was that Mr Morgan decided to settle, and, after having had the land surveyed, the partners apportioned it by drawing straws for the four sections into which it had been divided. One of them sold his holding later in the year for £100 an acre, and was sorry for it afterwards. In 1853 Mr. Morgan built the first house in Kew, and this house is the one in which he still resides. Here with his wife, he settled down to market gardening and dairying. So successful was the new venture that he induced his father and other members of the family to come out to Australia to assist him. Gradually the district became settled, Mr. Morgan parted with a portion of his holding, and subdivided and built on the remainder, which he still retained. In 1884 he found himself in a position to retire from active business. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 1923. He was later to die in the same year. The Argus, 17 January 1923.Rare and-tinted framed photograph af Annie Morgan, the wife of one of the founding pioneers of the district.Hand tinted photograph in a gilt frame of Anna Morgan (nee Chidgey), the wife of James Venn Morgan. Anna Morgan was the wife of one of Kew's earliest pioneers and landowners. She died in 1915.anna morgan, kew - pioneers

Main St. looking West from Doyle Lane. Playford on corner, Whiteside & Co Taylors, Carters Boot Shop. Railway train carriages in distance, Coffee Palace formerly Castlemaine Hotel in distance about centre of photo. Taken c. 1878. , From right of photo T. Brown & Co Timber & Iron Yard, T Brown's Furniture Warehouse, Cambrian Hall, Herbert,s Photographic Studio and Stawell Post Office.Victorian Views. C. Herbert, Photo. Stawell 1878stawell business streetscape

Corner of Main & Wimmera Streets looking West. 1878. Union Hotel or Coffee Palace formerly Castlemaine Hotel , Stawell Town Hall, Grocer, A. Brown Wholesale Retail, McAlpine Tinsmith Plumber, J. Porch Draper, Chemist, Methodist Church roofline. Stawell Post Office, Akins Seedsman and Stationer.Victorian Views. C. Herbert, Photo. Stawell 1878stawell business streetscape

non-fictionA detailed history of the Mortlock family, from their convict and then successful settler ancestor, Thomas John Mortlock, through succeeding generations of high-country settlers. Later branches of the family settled in the Castlemaine area, Wagga Wagga and Bethanga near Wodonga, Victoria. The history is profusely illustrated with maps, family photographs provided by Maud Cadman. There is some detail of the methods of settling the high country of the Monaro before the new Land Acts of 1861 and anecdotal reference to one family member running the Post Office at the Prisoner of War Camp at Cowra during World War IImortlock family, high country, bethanga, thomas mortlock, monaro

ORIGINAL PHTOGRAPH OWNED BY MRS. LENA COOK, OF CASTLEMAINE ROAD , CRESWICK.1 SEPIA PHOTOGRAPH MOUNTED ON CARDBOARD OF SCHOOLCHILDREN AND THEIR TEACHER- TOURELLO SCHOOL STANDING OUTSIDE TOURELLO POST OFFICE .2.3.4 ENLARGED BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ABOVE PRINTED ON MATTE PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER.1 Handwritten on reverse in blue biro; Lily Sanderslocal history, photography, photographs, schools - tourello

Plan of the Chewton Goldfield with Scale Measurement in chains. Plan shows the township of Chewton with the reefs and leases, the railway line and the Main Castlemaine - Melbourne Road. Also, the Eureka Vineyard. Issued by The Stock Exchange of Melbourne, April 1937. Leases named are: Central Wattle Gully, Wattle Gully United, Wattle Gully Extended, South Wattle Gully, Golden Wattle, Chewton, White Horse, Wattle Gully, North Wattle Gully, North Chewton, Upper Barkly, Post Office Hill, Misima United, Argus Hill, Chapmans, Chewton Prospecting Co, Fiji Gold & Gold Mines of Fiji and Nimrod. Stamp in the top right corner: Edward Dyason & Co. - Queen St. Melbourne. Sharebrokers.map, mining reports, plan of chewton goldfield, edward dyason & co, the stock exchange of melbourne, central wattle gully, wattle gully united, wattle gully extended, south wattle gully, golden wattle, chewton, white horse, wattle gully, north wattle gully, north chewton, upper barkly, post office hill, misima united, argus hill, chapmans, chewton prospecting co, fiji gold & gold mines of fiji, nimrod