George Green, Free Settler "Eliza" 1822

Buried: Block 8, lot 36.37 Southern Cemetery, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Please read attached document found under media heading to the right

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday 19 September 1843

George Green’s children mentioned are George Amaziah aged 12 and Henry Thomas aged 9.

'To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. GENTLEMEN, - Having seen an article in this day's paper, stating some particulars of the accident which took place at the boat-race on Wednesday last, on which occasion Mr. George Green proved his superior skill in boat-sailing, as well as his strenuous and humane exertions to save the life of his fellow creatures, at the hazard of loss of life to himself and two of his sons (one twelve years, and the other only nine years of age), who were his whole boat's crew. When Mr Green picked up the body of the unfortunate gentleman, there was no other boat in sight, so that, while Mr. G. was getting the body on board, the boat was entirely managed by his children; therefore, if any accident had happened, Mr. G. and his boys would have been inevitably lost- and what is more, there was at the same time a heavy gale of wind and a very rough sea, and Mr. G, was for some time endeavouring to restore life, by bleeding and other means, but without effect.

This is not a solitary act of humane bravery on the part of Mr. Green: as, about eleven years since, a boat containing five persons was capsized in Darling Harbour, when Mr. Green alone went in a boat to their rescue, but not being able to get them into his boat, he immediately leaped overboard, and succeeded in saving four of the five, two of whom were a father and his daughter; the other daughter Mr. G. grasped, but her dress gave way, and she was unfortunately drowned. The late much lamented Mr. and Miss Cavendish cannot but be still in remembrance of the public ; when Mr. G. seeing Mr. C 's boat upset, left the race and picked up both him (Mr. C ) and his sister, leaving the other boats to contend for the Prize.

For these unprecedented acts of humanity, I am informed by Mr Green, that all the recompence he has received has been the basest of ingratitude-not even having been thanked for his exertions.

Fourteen other cases of drowning Mr. G. has been concerned in; from one alone he received thanks, that was from Mr. H. S. Green, of the Cricketer's Arms; nay so much to the contrary of gratitude, one of the men Mr. Green rescued from a watery grave, did, during the riots at the late Elections, with four others, give chase to Mr. G, in order to wreak their vengeance on him for being of the opposite party to themselves.

When the citizens of Sydney have read the above unvarnished facts, I hope they will unanimously come forward, and by their conduct shew that humanity and bravery shall never go unrewarded.

I am, gentlemen, Your obedient servant, AN EYEWITNESS. Sydney, September 15.

The Sydney Herald Wednesday 9 March 1842 and The AustralianThursday 10 March 1842 House Robbery.-Between Sunday night and Monday morning, the house of Mr. Green, at Greenwich, on the North Shore, was robbed of property to the value of about £110, principally silver plate, including three regatta cups, a silver cruet and stand. Although Mr. Green was at home during the time when the robbery must have been perpetrated, he knew nothing of it till Monday morning. From some circumstances connected with the affair warrants have been issued for the apprehension of several persons about the premises.

The Sydney Herald Wednesday 9 March 1842 Mr. Gore's Property.-The house and stores, land, shares, sheep, cattle, horses, &c, the property of Thomas Gore, Esq., were yesterday brought to the hammer by order of the Trustees, and sold by Mr. Samuel Lyons, at his Mort, and realized £17,200 14s. The Australian 17th March 1842 We are glad to say that the police have got scent and are in pursuit of the parties who robbed Mr. Green at Greenwich, and also the there is a prospect of recovering the property stolen, consisting of three Regatta Cups, .We trust this may be the case as Mr. Green must have felt much annoyed at their loss not only from their intrinsic value, but from the honour which attached to the possession of them, from the circum stances under which they were obtained.

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 17th March 1842

ROBBERY DISCOVERED.-A few days back, Mr. Green missed a silver cup and several other silver articles from his parlour, but after the most rigid search, and the strictest enquiry, was unable to find out the depredator. As there seemed no possibility of an access to the house from the exterior, and as no signs of violence were seen on the doors or windows, the suspicions of Mr. Green fell on a man servant in his employ, but this suspicion he concealed. The man who committed the robbery, has since been discovered, through the medium of an assistant servant, and was yesterday given into custody, and will be examined this day, A warrant has also been granted to search a house that the prisoner was known to frequent

Australasian Chronicle Thursday 17 March 1842

NORTH SHORE ROBBERIES. - Several robberies have of late been perpetrated at various localities on the North Shore, and little or no clue has been obtained to lead to the discovery of the robbers. The most extensive robbery which has been committed in that quarter was that at the house of Mr. Green, boatbuilder, near Greenwich, one night last week, when. besides three very valuable silver regatta cups, a large quantity of plate and other articles were stolen. A reward of £25 was offered by Mr. Green for the apprehension of the marauders, or for such information as would lead to their apprehension; but nothing that was likely to lead to a discovery transpired until Tuesday, when some information was given to Mr Green which caused him to keep a strict eye upon a man in the neighbourhood, who was an assigned servant to Captain McLean. Yesterday morning Mr. Green observed this fellow place something rather bulky in a boat with great caution, and then prepare to make his passage over to Sydney; upon which Mr. Green immediately seized him, and the fellow threw the bag with its contents into the water. He was ultimately secured, and a search was made for the bag, which after some time was recovered, and found to contain a round, deep basket, in which was the whole of the plate which had been stolen from Mr. Green's. The man was brought into Sydney yesterday morning; and it is expected that some more of the gang will be speedily captured.

The Sydney Herald Thursday 24 March 1842 THE NORTH SHORE - The public are already sufficiently acquainted, by reports on the numerous burglaries, robberies,, L???/ which have been committed during the year, on the North Shore. These crimes were attributed to bushrangers, and the police have been harassed in all directions to apprehend them. From matters that have turned up of late, however, it appears these bushrangers are no others than unsigned servants, some portion rather of the assigned servants of Captain M'Lean, principal superintendent of convicts. A ????? gang has already been discovered by the following means:-Mr. Green was robbed of cups and other articles of silver, obtained as prizes at various regattas. An assigned servant of Mr Gore's was heard to say that the property had been offered to him for sale, by a man who is assigned to Captain M'Lean; both were apprehended Captain M'Lean assisted on the Bench; his servant was declared too good and innocent a man to be implicated in such an affair Mr. Green's man was sent to work at the islands. Mr. Green was not satisfied and set one of his men to work, at the freemasonry which exists amongst prisoners of the Crown, and in a very short time the man had possession of the property it was brought to Sydney in Mr. Green's own boat by one or two of the parties together with Mr. Green's own man, and Mr Green was most unexpectedly, in attendance waiting for them at the wharf. One accused the other, and each declared his own ?????? innocence but four of Captain M'Lean's men interested and concerned in this particular robbery, and who have been approved to have concocted an alibi at Green's house, to take possession of ???? and are safely caught. Mr. Lee, ?????? over seer, at Captain M'Lean's, overseas twenty assigned servants, and as many ticket of leave holders, was proved, on Tuesday to be but a nominal overseer, inasmuch as he is custom to leave the North Shore early in the morning, and o return late in the evening Mr. Lee was severely reprimanded by Captain Innes, for attempting to intimidate a witness, the man whom Mr. Green set to work to discover the robber was threatened with committal to gaol; Captain Innes observing, that, instead of his, ???? assisted in bringing the offenders to justice he had endeavoured to screen them in every possible way by misrepresentations and other wise; and that he, Captain Innes had been bulked in every possible way by Mr. Lee's exertions, circumstances which he should not fail to represent in their proper light Captain M'Lean. From information by Mr. Gore, orders were issued to apprehend other parties, who are alleged to have connected in a series of robberies on the North Shore, It is now a com??????? that, Captain M'Lean's men are the terrors the North Shore, and Mr. Ryan B?????

Thursday 24 March 1842 On Tuesday the four men taken up on suspicion of the robbery of Mr. Green, were re examined. They were remanded, Capt. Innes expressing his determination to get all the information he could on the matter, with a view to throw some light on the series of robberies which have been carried on for some time round the North Shore and Balmain, We are glad to say that Mr Green has recovered his cups and the measures he took for that purpose led to the detection of the thieves. He employed one or his assigned servants to pretend to undertake to provide a buyer for the articles in Sydney, and on their being sent across in a boat he was prepared to secure them.

The Sydney Herald 28th March 1842

THE NORTH SHORE.-In a paragraph in the Herald of Thursday, it is stated, that one of Mr. Gore's men was heard to say, that the property stolen from Mr. Green had been offered to him for sale by one of Mr. M'Lean's assigned servants. We are requested to state, that Mr. Gore's man (Bennett) gave the information to his master, which was the cause of the whole affair being discovered.

===========

George Green and other early landholders

George Green arrived in New South Wales as a 12-year-old in 1822, sponsored by his uncle and aunt, Thomas and Charlotte Hyndes. Green married Maria Bates in 1830 at St Philip's Church and established his own boatbuilding yard in Darling Harbour, living in Kent Street. Sydney in 1834 had a population of 30,000 and land was plentiful, presenting a great opportunity to enterprising individuals with the capital to acquire it cheaply from the Crown. In the 1830s, Green applied for a number of different blocks of land on the north shore. A letter written by George Green dated 30 January 1834 is the first documentary evidence of intention to purchase land at Balls Head Bay (now Greenwich). However, the final application for land was made under the name of Amaziah Green, George Green's father, who had arrived in Australia on 19 June 1834. On 26 November 1834 Amaziah Green acquired the first freehold block of land in Greenwich for 28 pounds and 15 shillings, consisting of five acres (two hectares) bounded on the south by the present George Street. The land had easy access on the east to the water of Gore Cove, was sufficiently arable to support an orchard and light agriculture, and the western end of the block commanded views of the Lane Cove and Parramatta rivers.

In October 1834, CH Jenkins made the second application for land in Greenwich. The name on this application was changed however, with James Chisholm acquiring the 20-acre (8-hectare) block on 20 April 1835. Chisholm's grant was described as Lot 184, located on Balls Head Bay, to the north of Green's allotment and Gore's wharf.

In 1836, Amaziah Green sold his original grant to his son George. [6] In 1837 George Green purchased from the government six acres (2.4 hectares) on the opposite side of George Street to his father's original five acres. That year, George Green also acquired nearly four acres (1.6 hectares) on the neck of the peninsula, north of his other holdings. [7]

Other land sales quickly followed in the wake of Chisholm and Green's original grants, and by 9 March 1837, when a major auction was held, most of the land on the Greenwich peninsula was snapped up.

Boatbuilders and shipowners formed a close-knit community on Greenwich Point, with nearly every purchaser of land in the area belonging to that fraternity. [8] Early landholders included Alexander Berry and Thomas Hyndes (Green's uncle), each owners of several small coastal vessels; William Dalton, who owned several small ships individually and in partnerships; Andrew Summerbell, a shipwright; Beenke, a boatbuilder; and John Stewart, brother-in-law to George Green who was also involved in shipbuilding, as well as George and Amaziah Green, James Chisholm, George Green, Edward Lee, John Allingham, John Ford, WP Burne, William Roberts, Captain John Jenkins Peacock (coal merchant) and William Henry Chapman. [9]

Greenwich House

In September 1840 George Green placed an advertisement in the Sydney Herald, offering for sale his Greenwich estate of 20 acres in 80 building allotments. [10] As a part of this subdivision Green named the surrounding streets after his sons: George, Henry, Richard, Robert and James. The allotments did not sell well however, and four months later only 22 blocks had been sold. This advertisement was the first mention of the name 'Greenwich'. [11]

In July 1841 Green borrowed a large sum of money from William Wright and George Cooper of Lane Cove, giving part of the unsold portions of his Greenwich estate as collateral security. The mortgage deed contained no reference to any buildings on the property, and there is no indication in the records as to why this large sum of money was needed. However, it was most likely for the construction of Greenwich House. [12] While the exact date of construction of the house, originally known as Willoughby House, is unknown, it was some time before 1853 when Green's mortgage holders sold the house and property to Gother Kerr Mann for £1250. [13] Mann was the colonial engineer and became Chief Commissioner for Railways in July 1855, as well as working as the designer and Engineer-in-Chief of the Fitzroy Dock on Cockatoo Island. [14] In 1859 Mann's duties on Cockatoo Island were altered. In addition to being Engineer-in-Chief of the dry dock, Mann also became Superintendent of the Cockatoo Island Penal Establishment, requiring him to reside on the island. His family stayed on in Greenwich House however, as it was only a short row from the island. [15] The oldest surviving home in the municipality of Lane Cove, Greenwich House remained in the Mann family until 1949. [16]

From village to suburb

Greenwich Point, referred to as the Village of St Lawrence in early days, developed much earlier than the upper part of Greenwich. With a sizable population, school, general store, post office and butcher, the village was already beginning to adopt the trappings of a suburb by the 1880s. In contrast, upper Greenwich was only just beginning to see signs of development, with most of the area still virgin bushland. While in upper Greenwich there was only a very rudimentary road layout by the 1880s, there was, on paper at least, a network of roads and streets laid out on the point as early as the 1840s. [17] By 1884 the settlement on the Point was clustered near the junction of George and St Leonards (now St Lawrence) streets in a relatively compact village of around 16 houses. [18] In upper Greenwich however, there were only around eight or nine houses on Greenwich Road, stretched out between River Road and Evelyn Street, and a cluster of 13 or 14 houses situated on either side of the road near Bay Street.
source http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/greenwich

===================================