Although
they might not all have been in an equal degree interesting, good or
great in themselves, they were yet men of mark, closely associated in
various ways with our early colonial life, and, like a busy dentist,
much in the mouth of their public. By all right and reason, the first of
these prominent personages is the brotherhood group of the Messrs.
Henty.
THE HENTY FAMILY, AND THE FOUNDATION OF VICTORIA.
"Let the end try the man."
--2nd Part Henry IV.
"Great world! Victoria brings thee meat and corn and wine,
With richly veined woods, and glittering gold from mine,
Fairy web of silken thread, soft thick snowy fleece;
Wide room for smiling homes of industry and peace."
--Mrs. H.N. Baker.
The founder of to-day's great colony of Victoria was Mr. Edward Henty,
who landed at Portland Bay from Launceston, with live stock and stores,
for the purpose of settlement, on the 19th November, 1834. But in regard
to that notable event I prefer to speak of "The Henty Family," because,
in their colonizing efforts they seem to have acted so much with mutual
family purpose and in mutual help, and because there was a preparatory
work in which the family were all more or less engaged, all leading up
to this settlement at Portland, a site which had been selected after
more than two years of previous adventurous excursions and observations
along the coasts of Western Victoria and of South Australia.
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