Family History

It seems nice to share an 'ancient' family snap, taken when we were on a holiday and very young and happened by one of those photo places where they dressed us up in costume to pose for their camera looking like we were early Australian settlers. It was fun but for a long while the photo was lost. It was nice to see it again. What beautiful kids we had then. And still have now!

Here is some historical stuff for family tree buffs. The Sixteenth Ackland party arrived at Melbourne in 1862 from Liverpool on March 31 aboard the “Star of India”, 1697 tons: Henry, wife Jane (nee Greedy), and Harry aged 2. Henry was a brother of Eliza (arrival No.7, 1853)*, and he and his family started out in the Mt. Moriac district near Geelong. Henry was a bootmaker and carried on his business there until 1875. After that year, Henry went to Masse, near Donald, in the Eastern Wimmera and selected land there. He retired in 1905 to live a Cremorne, Sydney, where he died on November 28, 1917. Henry and Jane’s children were: Francis b.1853 (died on voyage), Harry b.1859 d.1912, Elizabeth b.1860 d.1900, Mary Ann (Polly) b.1861 d.1953, Robert b.1863 d.1928, Thomas b.1865 d.1866, John b.1866 d.1866, Frederick b.1868 d.1944, Herbert b.1870 d.1920, George Henry (Peter’s great grandfather) b.1872 d.1940, Albert b.1874 d.1960, Ellen b.1877 d.1967, Ada b.1883 d.1958. The last two children were born on the farm at Masse, near Donald.

*A note about seventh arrival Eliza Ackland: she arrived as a single immigrant in Geelong in 1853 and was not long to remain a spinster. One January 13, six months after her arrival, she was married at Geelong to John Francis. Many of her parent’s family and cousins eventually settled around Geelong, and this group represents about one-third of all Acklands in Australia (according to an assessment made in 1969).