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finds it necessary to build a new mansion to accommodate his many friends.'
Presumably business was so good that Erskine House had to be expanded and enlarged. Also
in 1870, the shire rate-book records that Thomas and Caleb Mountjoy, graziers, were the joint
owners of a large house and 44 acres of freehold land valued at £360. They also leased 15,000
acres of land from the Crown. Interestingly, the 44 acres and the house were rated at 18
shillings, while the rating for thousands of acres of farmland amounted to a mere eight shillings.
A very official visit followed that of the surveyor and the widening of the track over the Otways.
In 1873 the new Governor of Victoria, Sir George Bowen, on an inspection of his domain,
travelled over the forested mountains in a four-horse carriage, accompanied by pages, butlers
and aides. The history of Winchelsea Shire states that on his arrival at Erskine House, 'the
residents stood at attention and saluted, whilst the celebrated singer, Thomas Mountjoy, sang
the National Anthem'.
A proud moment for Thomas and Sophie Mountjoy. They were hosts to the Queen's
representative in this small corner of her Empire. It was as good as
a royal visit, and set a seal of official approval on all their years of endeavour and toil.
A post office had been set up by Thomas Mountjoy at Erskine House, and in 1874 he took
over the conveyance of maii between Deans Marsh and Lome, providing a service that made
the journey twice a week.
The coastal journey from Geelong to Lome via Angiesea took 11 hours, longer than it takes
now to fly from Melbourne to Hong Kong. Now, even an eleven-hour coach journey would
seem a trial. Then, the discomforts were constant and unrelieved. Although the horse-carriages
travelled at quite a slow pace, the heat and dust {or wet), the hard seats, heavy clothing and the
jolting added considerably to the rigours of the long journey. But our ancestors were well used
to all manner of physical discomfort: they were hardier then. They were also readier to seize and
relish such pleasures that came their way, for they had littie leisure then and less opportunity for
relaxation and ease.
In the early 1870s, coach passengers travelling from Geelong to Lome set out from Brady's
grocery shop in Moorabool St. The six-horse teams were changed en route, and the regular
drivers were two brothers, Tom and Harry Pearse.
In September 1875, Jesse Allen, aged 18 and newly employed by Thomas Mountjoy 'to lay out
a garden and orchard at Erskine House', made that 11-hour journey down the coast.
Writing in 1934 Allen said: The road was certainly rough, but the old coach bumped along;
sometimes it missed and sometimes it deepened the numerous ruts along the track. As we came
to each stream I wondered just how deep it would be, but the fords just slipped behind, and Big
Hill was reached. Here we changed over to pack horses for the remainder of the journey.'
Jesse Allen was beguiled by the scenic beauties of Lome. 'I wandered through the 20-feet
saplings and swamp that existed between Mountjoys' and the Erskine River, and with each step
f took up the river, I became more and more enraptured with its magnificent beauty. Any person
who was privileged to see the Rapids before the orchard was planted on its west bank... must
have been greatly inspired with the grandeur and natural simplicity of the fairy glen.'
He liked it so much that he settled down in Lome; the garden he created at Erskine House
flourishes to this day.
A letter he wrote years later provides a rare glimpse of work and life at Erskine House.
'Our stores were received from the sailing vessel Henry which, in the absence of a jetty, hove to
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