FRIDAY'S HISTORY LESSON, My Home Town WERRIBEE....

The name Werribee is an aboriginal name meaning "backbone or spine". It is thought that this name was given as the shape of the Werribee River valley in the landscape looks like a backbone. The Werribee River seems to have provided a boundary between the territories of the Woiwurong aborigines to the north east and the Wothowurong to the south west, although other tribal groups visited the area. One of these tribes was the Yawangi tribe, whose last survivor "King" Bill Leigh died on Wooloomanata Station (on the Geelong side of the You Yangs) in 1912.

The You Yangs

The area of Werribee was first discovered by Hamilton Hume and William Hovell in 1824, they had traveled overland from Sydney to explore the Port Philip area.
Hume advised the then Governor of NSW that the area would be good sheep grazing land, but the Governor was not interested in the area, despite petitions by entrepreneurs John Batman and J.T. Gellibrand.
In 1835 Batman sailed from Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and also explored the area between Geelong and Melbourne. He started a treaty with the local Aborigines in the name of the Port Phillip Association.
In 1835 this land was cut up in lots and settlers began setting up farms in the area.
The governor of NSW was not to pleased with the trespassing settlers, but finally caved in and sent Captain Lonsdale to the area in 1836 to survey and plan a town.

Lonsdale’s recommendation was to set up small town between Melbourne and Geelong and by 1850 the first land sale of the area began.
By 1857 the first rail line connecting Melbourne to Geelong passed through Werribee. By the 1890s Werribee had a population of around 500, its large flat expanses of land prompted several market gardeners to flock to the area to set up farms that can still be found around Werribee south today along with the Chirnside family mansion built around 1870.

Chirnside Mansion is the building to the left.
The Werribee record of white man and aboriginal contact is a sad one. In 1803, Lt Tuckey whilst on a survey mission in Port Phillip Bay from the Sorrento Settlement, shot on Werribee soil the first aborigine to be killed by a white man in Victoria. Years later, the first settlers killed by aborigines in Victoria - Charles Franks and a shepherd - were tomahawked to death whilst erecting a sheep hold near Mount Cottrell (Where I grew up) in 1836. Ironically, the tomahawks were part of the bargain that came with the signing of the treaty.

Mount Cotterell. As it is and remains today.

Early views of this part of Victoria were unfavourable with surveyors disappointed in the quality of the soil and the lack of trees. This was reported back to the ruling Government in NSW. Hume and Hovell, experienced pastoralists, came overland from NSW in 1824-5. They crossed the upper reaches of the Maribyrnong and came into the Werribee plains. They took back a glowing report to Sydney of the country that they had explored. The Hume and Hovell expedition camped in Werribee on 19 December 1824.

View of Melbourne from atop Cowie's Hill.

5 minutes drive tp Mt Cotterell.

John Batman and J.T. Gellibrand sent a petition to the Governor of NSW in 1827 asking for land in the Port Phillip district. Batman had been advised by Hamilton Hume that the Port Phillip area would offer good grazing land and all kinds of opportunities. The petition was refused because of the difficulties in administering the 'branch' colony so far from Sydney.
Batman and Gellibrand did not give up. They with other interested men formed the Port Phillip Association. In May 1835, Batman, representing the Association crossed Bass Strait and landed near Geelong. He explored the area from Geelong to Melbourne and was "lost in admiration of the possibilities of splendid sheep country".

In July 1835 John Helder Wedge, a member of the Port Phillip Association crossed Bass Strait to make a detailed survey and a plan to divide the land Batman had acquired. He divided the huge area of land into sections and lots were cast for it. Wedge was allocated Lot No. 13. Five of the seventeen lots were in the Werribee area.

In spite of the fact that the Governor of NSW made it clear they were trespassing, settlers from Van Diemans Land (now Tasmania), began arriving to take up the acquired land. Edward Wedge, brother to John bought out a flock of 400 merino sheep to the Werribee property. He built a house near the Werribee River but in 1852 the river flooded drowning Edward, his wife and daughter, Lucy.

John Helder Wedge (1793 - 1872),

As more settlers arrived in the Port Phillip area, the authorities in Sydney were forced to acknowledge its existence. The first step was to send officials to arrange for surveying and planning of a town. Captain Lonsdale, the first Police Magistrate of the Colony, took up duties late in 1836.

Lonsdale recommended in a letter to the Colonial Secretary that a village be surveyed and a few allotments sold "near the head of the boat navigation, which is half-way between Melbourne and Geelong". On September 6, 1850 the first sale of Wyndham took place. In 1857, the official opening of the Geelong and Melbourne Railway occured, furthermore making Werribee accessible for trade and for the community to travel between towns much easier. This year marks the 150th Anniversary of this opening of the Railway.

Werribee Railway Station, May 15th 1927, after a fire.

**********************To be continued next Friday*****************************