John McHaffie. With brother William he built an empire on Phillip Island and fought to keep it. Photos: Phillip Island & District Historical Society
By Pamela Rothfield
LONG before sheep grazed its windswept plains, Phillip Island was a place of seasonal abundance for the Bunurong people, who came to fish its waters and gather shellfish along its rocky shores. Then came the sealers, the squatters and a Scottish family determined to make the island their own.
It was in 1842 that Scottish émigrés John and William McHaffie staked a bold claim on the entire island, securing an annual lease and transforming it into their personal pastoral domain. For decades, they held fast to the land – first with sheep and cattle, later with political favours and scientific justifications – as pressure mounted for its release to the public.
LONG before sheep grazed its windswept plains, Phillip Island was a place of seasonal abundance for the Bunurong people, who came to fish its waters and gather shellfish along its rocky shores. Then came the sealers, the squatters and a Scottish family determined to make the island their own.
It was in 1842 that Scottish émigrés John and William McHaffie staked a bold claim on the entire island, securing an annual lease and transforming it into their personal pastoral domain. For decades, they held fast to the land – first with sheep and cattle, later with political favours and scientific justifications – as pressure mounted for its release to the public.
This is a glimpse of how the McHaffies built an island empire, and how they fought to keep it. Theirs is a tale that weaves together colonial ambition, natural science, political theatre and quiet defiance, from Melbourne’s Eastern Market soapbox speeches and political posturing to botanical paintings and blossoming romance.
Alongside John McHaffie stood Georgianna, a former governess with strong political connections, who adapted with grace and resolve to the rigours of island life and played her own part in this remarkable chapter of Phillip Island’s past.
The astute McHaffie brothers saw potential in Phillip Island as a grazing property despite the island's remoteness, its unpredictable water supply and the land being of questionable quality. They were young and ready for the challenge.
By early 1843, they had secured an annual Crown lease for the entire 9841 hectares (24,000 acres) island, which was described as wastelands of the Crown, for just £1 an acre, establishing themselves among the powerful early pastoralists of colonial Victoria.
At the time, the Island’s only European residents were a handful of sealers. The seal population was already decimated. The McHaffies, who had previously held another pastoral leasehold at Moonee Ponds, were permitted to graze animals but not cultivate the land, aside from their household needs. In the 1850s, William returned to Scotland, leaving John to manage the island and their affairs.
In 1861, John married Georgianna Henderson, the daughter of a Royal Navy captain. Prior to her marriage, Georgianna had worked as a governess for the prominent Snodgrass family. Peter Snodgrass was a vocal Member of Parliament and staunch supporter of the Acclimatisation Society. Georgianna’s intelligence and resilience were evident early on, as she navigated life in the household of a political family. Her connection with the Snodgrasses would later provide a valuable link to support her husband’s interests during turbulent political times.
Alongside John McHaffie stood Georgianna, a former governess with strong political connections, who adapted with grace and resolve to the rigours of island life and played her own part in this remarkable chapter of Phillip Island’s past.
The astute McHaffie brothers saw potential in Phillip Island as a grazing property despite the island's remoteness, its unpredictable water supply and the land being of questionable quality. They were young and ready for the challenge.
By early 1843, they had secured an annual Crown lease for the entire 9841 hectares (24,000 acres) island, which was described as wastelands of the Crown, for just £1 an acre, establishing themselves among the powerful early pastoralists of colonial Victoria.
At the time, the Island’s only European residents were a handful of sealers. The seal population was already decimated. The McHaffies, who had previously held another pastoral leasehold at Moonee Ponds, were permitted to graze animals but not cultivate the land, aside from their household needs. In the 1850s, William returned to Scotland, leaving John to manage the island and their affairs.
In 1861, John married Georgianna Henderson, the daughter of a Royal Navy captain. Prior to her marriage, Georgianna had worked as a governess for the prominent Snodgrass family. Peter Snodgrass was a vocal Member of Parliament and staunch supporter of the Acclimatisation Society. Georgianna’s intelligence and resilience were evident early on, as she navigated life in the household of a political family. Her connection with the Snodgrasses would later provide a valuable link to support her husband’s interests during turbulent political times.
A former governess, Georgianna McHaffie adapted remarkably well to her new life on Phillip Island, managing domestic life under challenging and primitive conditions.
Her sister, Euphemia Henderson, a gifted botanical artist, often visited and painted the island’s unique plant life. One of her works, The Pinnacle Rock, Western Port (depicting what is now known as Pyramid Rock), was exhibited at Melbourne’s Intercolonial Exhibition in 1866. Euphemia met Ferdinand von Mueller, director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, and their romance blossomed on Phillip Island, resulting in their engagement, although the two never married.
As Victoria’s gold rush drove a population boom and land hunger intensified, the McHaffies’ hold over Phillip Island came under pressure. Reformers and politicians called for Crown lands to be released to smaller farmers, known as “selectors”. John McHaffie fought to retain control, supported by influential friends including the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria – a powerful group of scientists and gentlemen who sought to “improve” Australia’s flora and fauna by introducing European species.
Edward Wilson, a newspaper editor and founder of the Society, was a friend of John’s and had hunted wild boar with him on the Island as early as 1850. John McHaffie was a founding member of the Society, and “his” Island was seen as an ideal site for acclimatisation experiments, far from predators and conveniently isolated. This was also a useful argument against the call for subdivision.
Meanwhile, critics such as flamboyant parliamentarian Dr Louis Lawrence Smith campaigned relentlessly to unlock Phillip Island for public settlement. His populist speeches – sometimes delivered from the back of a wagon at the Eastern Market in Melbourne with a sack of island soil at his feet – painted the McHaffies as out-of-touch squatters standing in the way of progress.
Behind the scenes, the Assistant-Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Clement Hodgkinson, quietly did the work that ultimately brought the McHaffies’ exclusive lease to an end. In 1868, after extensive correspondence and lobbying, the government announced that Phillip Island would be surveyed and sold. The Acclimatisation Society protested, but the decision stood.
In November 1868, the first Crown land ballots were held. Excitement was high as hopeful settlers gathered at Schnapper Point (now Mornington) for their chance to purchase lots ranging from 10 to 160 acres. Township allotments at Rhyll and Cowes followed in the months ahead.
Though John McHaffie was entitled to retain 640 acres under squatter’s pre-emptive rights, it was no longer viable to run cattle on such a reduced holding. In 1869, he acquired land at Yanakie, near Wilsons Promontory, and in 1880s sold his remaining Phillip Island interests.
As Victoria’s gold rush drove a population boom and land hunger intensified, the McHaffies’ hold over Phillip Island came under pressure. Reformers and politicians called for Crown lands to be released to smaller farmers, known as “selectors”. John McHaffie fought to retain control, supported by influential friends including the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria – a powerful group of scientists and gentlemen who sought to “improve” Australia’s flora and fauna by introducing European species.
Edward Wilson, a newspaper editor and founder of the Society, was a friend of John’s and had hunted wild boar with him on the Island as early as 1850. John McHaffie was a founding member of the Society, and “his” Island was seen as an ideal site for acclimatisation experiments, far from predators and conveniently isolated. This was also a useful argument against the call for subdivision.
Meanwhile, critics such as flamboyant parliamentarian Dr Louis Lawrence Smith campaigned relentlessly to unlock Phillip Island for public settlement. His populist speeches – sometimes delivered from the back of a wagon at the Eastern Market in Melbourne with a sack of island soil at his feet – painted the McHaffies as out-of-touch squatters standing in the way of progress.
Behind the scenes, the Assistant-Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Clement Hodgkinson, quietly did the work that ultimately brought the McHaffies’ exclusive lease to an end. In 1868, after extensive correspondence and lobbying, the government announced that Phillip Island would be surveyed and sold. The Acclimatisation Society protested, but the decision stood.
In November 1868, the first Crown land ballots were held. Excitement was high as hopeful settlers gathered at Schnapper Point (now Mornington) for their chance to purchase lots ranging from 10 to 160 acres. Township allotments at Rhyll and Cowes followed in the months ahead.
Though John McHaffie was entitled to retain 640 acres under squatter’s pre-emptive rights, it was no longer viable to run cattle on such a reduced holding. In 1869, he acquired land at Yanakie, near Wilsons Promontory, and in 1880s sold his remaining Phillip Island interests.
Sketch of the McHaffies homestead, drawn by Georgianna’s brother J. B. Henderson in the 1960s
Despite losing the battle with the Government, John McHaffie did not hesitate to offer any assistance to the new settlers as the knowledge he had gained over a quarter of a century of working this land was significant. Georgianna also adjusted to the new life and became very involved in the community and worked tirelessly for the establishment of the St Philips Church in the new township.
The McHaffies’ legacy lived on through their descendants, several of whom remained on the Island and are buried in the Phillip Island Cemetery. As for Georgianna, she left an enduring impression as one of the early women of Phillip Island – capable, courageous, and deeply woven into the political and social fabric of her time.
The McHaffies’ legacy lived on through their descendants, several of whom remained on the Island and are buried in the Phillip Island Cemetery. As for Georgianna, she left an enduring impression as one of the early women of Phillip Island – capable, courageous, and deeply woven into the political and social fabric of her time.