G2G: What did Joseph Hunt do between arriving in Port Phillip in 1854 and when his first son was born in 1867?

Question

Joseph Hunt arrived in Port Phillip in 1854 as an unassisted migrant.  Did he go to the goldfields?  We can find out nothing about him until 1867 when his first son, Joseph Ernest (my grandfather)  was born.  Joseph and his wife Elizabeth Ann (Wilkins) had 7 children and lived in Burwood on a flower farm.

Answer 1

Do you have the death register for Joseph? There's a column on that page that asks how many years in the colony. I was thinking that this may show he was somewhere other than Victoria.

I had a quick look at the Pioneer Index and couldn't see his marriage. Do you have a copy of that to see if it tells you where he was in the colonies?

There's an 1856 Electoral Roll of Victoria on Ancestry. A Joseph Hunt is there at "The Loddon, Mandurang". He is No 2631 on this image, living at Kangaroo Flat, occupation miner, and he has a miner's right to vote.

http://goo.gl/DWGFpU

If you can access the Victoria Police Gazettes you may find him mentioned there. They are on FindMyPast, I believe.

There is also the Victoria Government Gazette at http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/ where you may find such things as miner's leases, land transctions, etc.

I hope this helps.

Rosemary

Comments

My apologies Rosemary that I hadn't noticed your reply to my comment back in 2014.  I have checked out the Miner's Licence and this could be a possibility but I wouldn't know for sure.  His marriage licence/record is missing in all areas (maybe they didn't get married officially) however there is a date on some of their children's birth certificate of 1 Jan 1866 in Brighton, where Elizabeth's parents lived.  One of those family mysteries.  Thank for your help.