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land in Torrumbarry - as had his sister Kuriah, who was married to William Trewin, and his
nephew, Lawrence Harward Mountjoy, Caleb's 18-year-old eldest son. Caleb Mountjoy and
his family would also occupy several blocks by 1878, in partnership with Thomas. For Caleb's
tenth child, Anna Maria, was born there in that year.
It seems likely that all these Mountjoys, the Trewins, and William Honeycombe, moved north in
1874.
A plan of the Torrumbarry selections dated 1880 shows that both Lawrences, uncle and
nephew, took adjacent 320-acre lots abutting the north side of William's block. Kuriah and
William Trewin had two 322-acre blocks not far away. We know that Lawrence Harward's
block was occupied by him by 1876, for so it appears in another land application, signed by his
uncle, Lawrence Mountjoy, who describes himself as being then 'of Torrumbarry, Farmer.' And
William Trewin witnesses William's will in 1875.
Another point - one of the conditions of selection was that selectors should reside on their land.
So when William Honeycombe travelled north in 1874 to pay his rent, take possession of his
land, and remove the offending fence, he was probably not alone. More than likely both
Lawrences went with him, as well as William Trewin and some farmhands. Jane and Kuriah
probably stayed behind, not joining their husbands until a new home was built and furnished.
How did the men get to Torrumbarry? Did they journey with their few possessions and basic
farming equipment on a bullock dray? Or did they travel there with horses and carts? Most
probably their heavy goods were sent by road, while they themselves made the journey more
speedily, and noisily, by train.
Presumably the lease on Roslyn was sold, and Lawrence and Jane, and William, moved out of
the homestead the're. They had farmed at Roslyn for more than 15 years, the longest any of
them had lived in the same place since coming to Australia; and the upheaval and the departure
must have seemed momentous and sad. On the other hand, someone may have been
subcontracted to manage the farm at Roslyn while they were away.
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go at farming. Experience was not necessary a qualification. The Duffy Act of 1862 developed
the concept of hire-purchase, allowing leases to be bought for 2/6 per acre per year over the
period of eight years. But selectors were also required to cultivate ten per cent of their acreage
(maximum 640 acres), to fence their land and build a home thereon. The Grant Act of 1865
allowed leases to run for seven years, with an option to purchase after three. Four years later
the second Grant Act permitted the selection of unsurveyed land, and the maximum acreage
allowed was reduced to 320, with payments now being spread over ten years - all payments
contributing towards the total price of £1 per acre - three of these years being under licence and
seven under lease. Those who held licences could apply for a Crown grant if certain conditions
were met.
All of this William Honeycombe must have studied and discussed with Lawrence Mountjoy, and
perhaps with Caleb and Tom.
William's original request for 320 acres of land in Torrumbarry Parish (pronounced Torr-um-
barree) is undated, which seems to indicate that the form was filled in at Echuca and handed
over then and there, or that it was sent in with a similar application from Lawrence Mountjoy.
Both hypotheses may serve, as neither William (nor Lawrence) would have probably applied
for land they had not viewed themselves. William's block (Lot 10, Section 2) had been
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