HENTY+BROTHERS

Who were the Henty brothers, what was their role in Victoria's development and what legacy did they leave?

Henty Brothers The Henty family are the first official family that were to settle that were to settle in the Port Phillip region better known as Victoria. In 1834 Edward Henty and his brother Stephen arrived in Portland bay. They arrived with a great deal of supplies, including meat, tobacco and flour, and when another Henty brother named Francis came to Australia, he brought even more supplies. Despite certain struggle for many years, Thomas Henty, the father of Edward, Stephen and Francis made his way to settle in Victoria. Their family then continued to become bigger and more famous.


 * Edward Henty was a pioneer and the first permanent settler of the port Phillip district today known as Melbourne.
 * Thomas Henty inherited £30,000 on 21 years of age and bought the property generally called the Church Farm at West Tarring, and bred merino sheep.
 * Some of these were sent to Australia in 1821 and brought high prices.
 * In 1829 James Henty, the eldest son, went to Western Australia with two brothers, Stephen and John. They stayed for two years and then left for Tasmania.
 * Edward was sent to explore the coast of the mainland. He reported that the district near Portland Bay had good possibilities, and after revisiting it with his father it was decided that the land was suitable for settlement.
 * After a voyage of 34 days the Thistle arrived at Portland Bay on 19 November 1834. Edward Henty was only 24 years old and early in December, he wrote in his diary."
 * "I stuck a plough into the ground, struck a she-oak root, and broke the point ; cleaned my gun, shot a kangaroo, mended the bellows, blew the forge fire, straightened the plough, and turned the first sod in Victoria


 * The Henty brothers were credited for being the first permanent white settlers in Australia.
 * Edward Henty, born 28th March 1810, was a pioneer and first permanent settler in the Port Phillip area. Henty was born in Tarring, West Sussex, England. He is the fourth son of Thomas Henty and his wife Frances Elizabeth Hopkins.
 * They stayed for two years and then left for Tasmania. At the time Thomas Henty sold his property in England.
 * He arrived at Launceston in April 1832.
 * It was difficult to find suitable land in Tasmania, and Edward was sent to explore the coast of the mainland. He reported that the area near Portland Bay had good chance of settlement, and after revisiting it with his father it was decided that the land was suitable enough.
 * Edward went first on the ship, ‘Thistle’. After a voyage of 34 days the ‘Thistle’ arrived at Portland Bay on the 19th of November, 1834.
 * The father, Thomas Henty, died in 1839, and it was not until 1846 that the matter of settlement and land ownership was finally settled, the Hentys were granted 155 acres of land valued at £1290.
 * On 29 August 1836 the exploring party headed by Major Thomas Livingston Mitchell reached Portland Bay and were amazed to find the country already colonized.
 * In 1845 Edward had over 70,000 acres.
 * In 1855 Edward Henty was elected a member of the Victorian legislative assembly for Normandy and was re-elected in 1859.
 * He was defeated in 1861 and did not sit again in parliament.
 * Edward Hentys last years were spent in retirement, he later died on the 14th of August 1878.
 * In October 1840 he married Annie Maria Gallie who lived longer than him.