Edward Henty

Edward Henty
Born	Template:Birth date Tarring, Sussex, England
Died	August 14, 1878(1878-08-14) (aged 68)
Occupation(s)	Pioneer, pastoralist, politician
Years active	1832–1878
Known for	First permanent settler in the Port Phillip region (Victoria, Australia), pioneer of the wool industry in Victoria

Edward Henty (28 March 1810 – 14 August 1878) was a British pioneer recognized as the inaugural permanent settler in the Port Phillip region, which later became known as Victoria, Australia.

Early life and family background

Edward was born in Tarring, Sussex, England, as the fourth surviving son of Thomas Henty, who hailed from a notable banking family in Sussex. His father invested £30,000 in Church Farm, where he bred prized Merino sheep, some of which were sold to Australian businessmen such as John Macarthur. After an economic slump in the mid-1820s, Edward's eldest brother James pursued better opportunities in Australia and journeyed to the Swan River Colony in 1829 accompanied by his brothers Stephen and John. Edward remained in Sussex to support their father.

Van Diemen's Land

Unable to secure fertile land grants in Western Australia, Edward’s brothers relocated to Launceston, Tasmania. Meanwhile, Thomas Henty liquidated most of his English holdings and brought Edward along with three other siblings to Launceston in April 1832.

Portland

Finding limited prospects for land acquisition in Tasmania, Edward explored the adjacent mainland coastline and identified promising territory near Portland Bay. After validating its suitability with his father, Edward spearheaded the initial settlement expedition aboard the Thistle, arriving on 19 November 1834 with workers, livestock, and provisions. The Henty family progressively established sheep farming operations, constructed residences, and cultivated farmland. They also participated in bay whaling during the 1830s, exporting whale oil and baleen through Tasmania to London.

Although early settlement activities were underway, official government recognition was postponed; discussions regarding land grants extended until 1846. The Henty family received £348 for improvements made and were awarded 155 acres valued at £1,290 but were required to purchase additional parcels at auction. Authorities regarded their settlement as a fiscal liability rather than an asset despite the family's substantial investments amounting to thousands of pounds. Subsequent sales of Crown land generated £17,245.

Edward persisted in expanding his estates; by 1845 he controlled over 70,000 acres (280 km²). The family enterprise thrived despite occasional downturns in wool prices. Management contributions were also made by Samuel Bryan, who married Jane Henty.

In political affairs, Edward secured election to the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing Normanby in 1855 and was re-elected in 1859 but lost his seat in 1861. He retired to his Melbourne residence 'Offington' and passed away on 14 August 1878. He married Annie Maria Gallie in October 1840; the couple had no offspring.

Edward Henty is acknowledged as both Victoria's first enduring settler and a pioneer of its wool industry. His portrait is preserved at the Melbourne public library.

Affiliations

• TS Henty, Australian Navy Cadets
• Victorian Railways S class locomotive S302 Edward Henty

See also

• Henty brothers
• Whaling in Australia

References

• Hurse, J. Lewis (1933), "Venture and Adventure: The Romantic Story of the Henty Family"
  • "No.1", The (Launceston) Examiner, (31 July 1933), p. 8.
  • "No.2", The (Launceston) Examiner, (1 August 1933), p. 5.
  • "No.3", The (Launceston) Examiner, (2 August 1933), p. 9.
  • "No.4", The (Launceston) Examiner, (4 August 1933), p. 9.
  • "No.5", The (Launceston) Examiner, (9 August 1933), p. 3.
  • "No.6", The (Launceston) Examiner, (10 August 1933), p. 10.
  • "No.7", The (Launceston) Examiner, (14 August 1933), p. 8.
  • "No.8", The (Launceston) Examiner, (17 August 1933), p. 8.
  • "No.9", The (Launceston) Examiner, (22 August 1933), p. 9.
  • "No.10", The (Launceston) Examiner, (26 August 1933), p. 9.
  • "No.11", The (Launceston) Examiner, (29 August 1933), p. 8.
• Jan Critchett, (1990), A distant field of murder: Western district frontiers, 1834–1848, Melbourne University Press
• Ian D Clark (1990) Aboriginal languages and clans: An historical atlas of western and central Victoria, 1800–1900, Dept. of Geography & Environmental Science, Monash University
• Ian D Clark (1995), Scars in the landscape: A register of massacre sites in western Victoria, 1803–1859, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
• Ian D Clark (2003) ‘That's my country belonging to me’ – Aboriginal land tenure and dispossession in nineteenth century Western Victoria, Ballarat Heritage Services
• The Gunditjmara People with Gib Wettenhall, (2010) The People of Budj Bim: Engineers of aquaculture, builders of stone house settlements and warriors defending country, em Press

External links

• Edward Henty's journal: images and transcripts and cargo manifest of the Thistle available through the State Library of Victoria