John Pascoe Fawkner |
John Pascoe Fawkner (20 October 1792 - 4 September 1869) was a pioneer, businessman and politician and self proclaimed founder of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
In April 1835, John Pascoe Fawkner purchased the topsail schooner, Enterprize, to search for a suitable settlement site in the Port Phillip District.
When the Enterprize was ready to leave in August 1835, at the last moment creditors prevented Fawkner from joining the voyage. On board the Enterprize as it departed George Town, were Captain John Lancey, Master Mariner (Fawkner's representative); George Evans, builder; William Jackson and Robert Marr, carpenters; Evan Evans, servant to George Evans; and Fawkner's servants, Charles Wyse, ploughman, Thomas Morgan, general servant, James Gilbert, blacksmith and his pregnant wife, Mary, under Captain Peter Hunter.
On 15 August 1835, Enterprize entered the Yarra River. After being hauled upstream, she moored at the foot of the present day William Street. On 30 August 1835 the settlers disembarked to build their store and clear land to grow vegetables. The Fawkners arrived in the Port Phillip District, on Friday, 16 October 1835, on the second trip of the Enterprize. Fawkner's diary reads: 'Warped up to the Basin, landed 2 cows, 2 calves and the 2 horses.'
businessman and politician
Fawkner opened Melbourne's first hotel on the corner of William St and Flinders Lane. He published Melbourne's first newspaper, the Melbourne Advertiser (January 1838).
Fawkner acquired a property in 1839 and called it Pascoeville. It was bounded by the Moonee Ponds Creek, Gaffney Street, Northumberland Road and the western prolongation of Boundary Road. He lived at his farmhouse and townhouse in Collingwood between 1840 and 1855.
In 1845 Fawkner served as a member of the Market Commission in the Town Council. In 1851 Fawkner was elected to the first Victorian Legislative Council for Talbot, Dalhousie and Angelsey, and in 1856 he was elected to the first Parliament of the self-governing colony of Victoria, as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Central Province, the seat he held until his death on 4 September 1869.
In Melbourne as in Launceston, Fawkner made many enemies, before dying as the grand old man of the colony on 4 September 1869 in Smith Street, Collingwood at the age of 77. At his funeral over 200 carriages were present, and 15,000 persons were reported to have lined the streets on his burial day, 8 September 1869. He was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery.
Founder?
While Fawkner financed the Enterprize that subsequently landed with Melbourne's first settlers, he was not on board. If we stick with the base meaning of the word 'founder', who 'found' Melbourne. We lean towards two parties.. Charles Grimes (1802) most certainly sailed up the Yarra River and John Batman (1834) sailed near Melbourne and created enough interest in the area to attract others like John Pascoe Fawkner.
Good Reading
Foundation of Melbourne History of Melbourne [Long] History of Melbourne [Short] John Batman Batman's Treaty of Melbourne John Pascoe Fawkner Enterprize | Tall Ship Enterprize Wharf Melbourne Day | 30th August
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ John Pascoe Fawkner
➼ www.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pascoe_Fawkner
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