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Geelong.
A native of Kingussie in Scotland, he and his wife and their five children had come to Geelong in
1852. A shepherd originally, working on other men's properties, he bought his own 77 acre
farm, with farmhouse, at Weering in 1862. It cost him £180. Three years later he had done
sufficiently well to buy an extra 155 acres, which was managed by his sons when he moved
north to Benarca. When he died at Benarca in 1883, the sheep station he had toiled to establish
in dry and difficult country, subject to flooding, covered nearly 1200 acres. His two
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sons expanded the station to just under 3000 acres and their descendants still farm there today,
five generations on from John Leitch, and 125 years after he first came to Echuca.
It was otherwise with the Mountjoys. Within ten years of becoming the largest landowners in
Torrumbarry and Wharparilla, they had vanished from the scene, perhaps driven away by poor
crop returns, by accidents of fire and flood, by a series of domestic tragedies. Perhaps the
cooler climes of Lome, the rural charm of Geelong, drew them back. In these places they had
made their homes, their first real homes since leaving England. Echuca was not for them.
Nor was it for William Honeycombe, who died there in 1876, the last few years of his life riven
by toil, by failing faculties and strength, by a failing enterprise - and a territorial dispute.
This arose nearly a year after he heard that his application for land had been granted, and
involved the southwest boundary of his selection, where Bartolomeo Piffero had established
himself.
Piffero had arrived in Australia in 1855. He first farmed at Hepburn (between Bendigo and
Ballarat) and was naturalised in 1864. In 1873, when he was 42, he married Anne Jane
Pickens. Their first child was born the following year at Shepherds Flat; their subsequent six
children were born at Echuca, beginning with Bartholomew George in 1875. Clearly they were
residing on their land by then, probably having taken possession in the second half of 1874.
South of the newly-weds were four blocks, n 13, 14, 15 and 26, which were occupied by J and
TF Pickens, presumably Anne's brothers. The Pifferos occupied II 12.
The dispute appears to have blown up when William moved onto his land, only to find that part
of it had been pegged out and claimed by his Italian neighbour. Their argument is summarised in
a page of notes, dated 26 November 1874, written by B Brook of the Local Land Board.
'An overlap was make by the AS in surveying this ground. Piffero pegged first - Honeycombe
was surveyed first... Refer DS to obtain CLB's report as to improves made on the position
overlapping Honeychurch's (sic) selec & also ascertain by whom the improves have been made.
Piffero is the first to peg & consequently the excision will have to be made out of Honeycombe's
block, unless they will make an arrangement between themselves.'
It seems they didn't. For further notes remark - '5.1.75 Piffero calls attention to his case not
being settled... Refer DS. Has this case "Piffero & Honeycombe" been arranged yet?...
26.2.75 Honeycombe complains RLP refuses rent.'
This note was made on the same day that William wrote the following letter to the Minister of
Land and Works.
'Sir, On Tuesday 23rd inst I went to Echuca to pay the rent for a 320 acre selection of land
situate in Turrumberry [that was how they spelt it then] and was surprised at being told by the
receiver and paymaster there, that orders had
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