AUS-VIC-GOLDFIELDS-L Archives

From: "Dawn Webb" <>
Subject: FW: John Hepburn 1849
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 22:44:10 +1000

I guess I may have partly answered my own question. Below is from the
Ballarat genie society's website when I searched on Hepburn.. and was
under squatters

Now - where exactly is Smeaton Hill???

STATIONS - Smeaton Hill

Captain Hepburn named Smeaton Hill station after a small hamlet which
lay near his birth place, Kenningham Huntingdonshire. The homestead was
constructed in 1849-50 and is occupied today.

Hepburn ran sheep, cattle and horses. In 1853 he told Governor Latrobe,
"On my run there is much good land to appearence, but the crop is below
average of my neighbours, which I can only attribute to the want of
proper drainage, the land being very wet in winter." Hepburn was
attempting to grow wheat on land which was later found ideal for
potatoes. Captain Hepburn did achieve 20 bushels of wheat to the acre
this is compared with an average of 30 bushels to the acre at Dowling
Forest (near Ballarat).

When Hepburn died on the 7th August 1860, aged 57, Smeaton Hill was
24,000 acres. The estate was then managed by the Captain's son George
Hepburn until 1887 when it was auctioned off in smaller lots.

In 1904 the Homestead on surrounding land was purchased by Battista
Righetti, a Swiss Italian decendant who had farmed at Yandoit.
Battista's decendants are on Smeaton Hill today.



And..



South of McLauchlan was Captain John Hepburn (1803 - 1860). Often
mistakenly described as the districts first settler, Hepburn did not
arrive at Smeaton until April 15th 1838. Hepburn's name was pronounced
Hep-burn.

Descended from the Smeaton (East Lothian) Hepburn's, John Hepburn took
to the sea. His earliest log is dated 1828, he was then aboard the
Diadem as Chief mate.

By 1835 Hepburn was the master of a 226 ton brig, The Alice. In 1835 the
Alice sailed for Hobart, aboard was John Gardiner, an ex banker, who
quickly talked Hepburn into joining him in a Pastoral business.

Ill fortune struck Hepburn's new ship The Ceres, whilst Hepburn was ill.
A steam ship, it was grounded of off the NSW coast and sunk. Hepburn
then joined Gardiner and Joseph Hawdon in the venture to overland cattle
to Port Phillip.

Following the successful Port Phillip overlanding trip, Hepburn met up
with Captain John Coghill and his brother William. The brothers were
settled at Kirkham and Stathellen near Braidwood NSW. In mid 1837
Hepburn and William Coghill became partners in a plan to overland 1400
ewes, 50 rams and 200 wethers to central Victoria.

Captain Hepburn had no money so Coghill agreed to underwrite his share,
with a five year interest free loan. In the same year Hepburn's wife,
Alice, arrived in Australia with the couples children.

On the 15th January 1838 the party left Strathallen for Smeaton
Victoria. Shortly after leaving Gundagai, they met William Bowman and
the three parties travelled southward, crossing the Murray near Albury,
not Howlong, as the Major had done. The Majors tracks were picked up
near Wangaratta and followed to Mt Alexander. It was here they set up a
lambing camp in April. Bowman stayed, establishing the Sutton Grange
run, but leaving it for Jas Orr when he moved on to Stratford near
Heathcote.

On the 12th April 1838 Hepburn and Coghill camped at what is now the
site of the Castlemaine Church of England grounds.

Hepburn had hoped to settle on the country he had passed through in 1836
but found it all taken, particularly the site at Barfold.

From Mt Alexander, Hepburn sited Mt Kooroocheang, and the Major's
Mammaloid Hills. The party moved on to Smeaton. William Coghill
travelled further west, crossing Bullarook creek and establishing
Glendaruel and then Glendonald.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dawn Webb [mailto:]
Sent: Tuesday, 7 October 2003 10:29 PM
To: ''
Subject: John Hepburn 1849


Hi Folks

I have been going thought shipping papers for my gg grandfather James
Burrows who arrived on Maitland 1849, and his brother William and
William's wife Ann who were on the same ship. (James aged 20, William
is 26? and wife 25?)

All three were employed by someone who is practically illegible, but
looks like John Hepburn. The place could be Seventeen Mile - or Trenton
Hile or maybe even Greater(n) Hib

Does anyone have any knowledge of this person or possible place?
(Please!!)

(James was in Melbourne region possibly Brighton 1852. I suspect
William was too.. but not proven. James and family (married 1852) was
later in goldifelds region (Back Creek!!) then Berwick then back to
Daylesford, as was another brother Thomas who also came and married both
events 1852. (Thomas certainly married in Brighton about June 1852.))

thank you for any clues you can give ...


Dawn

(Melbourne, Australia)

This thread:

• John Hepburn 1849 by "Dawn Webb" <>

  • FW: John Hepburn 1849 by "Dawn Webb" <>