James Grant Duncan was born on 2 October 1833
(and baptised on 7 October) in Campbeltown, Scotland[1] the second child of Dunlop and Elizabeth Duncan (nee Grant).
The 6 June 1841 census [2] records James, aged 7, as residing with his father, mother, siblings and
half-siblings at Back Street, Campbeltown, and he continued to reside with his
parents for at least another 10 years as he is recorded as living at the same
address in the 1851 Census. He followed
his father’s trade becoming a painter.[3]
He emigrated to Victoria,
Australia, aboard the Earl of Eglinton,
arriving on 19 December 1854 as one of 267 intermediate or steerage passengers
who departed from Greenock on 24 September, eighty four days earlier.
Also aboard the Earl of Eglington was a George White who
he was later to enter into business with.
In the early 1850s a large
number of Scots emigrated to Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia to avoid
the economic depression and unemployment.
Australia was attractive as gold had recently been found in NSW,
Victoria, Queensland and WA.
It is believed James first went
to the Ballarat goldfields then to Morse Creek (now Bright) where he mined for
gold in partnership with George White.
He moved to the Ovens – Buckland Rivers junction (now Porepunkah), about
5km away, following the 4 July 1857 riots in the goldfields of the Buckland
valley, which resulted in the Chinese miners being driven from that goldfield.
James became an Hotelier,
firstly at Morse Creek, then Owens Crossing, Porepunkah, where he met Hanna
O’Brien, a servant, who he married at St Josephs (Catholic) Church on 21 May
1861[4]
although he was a Presbyterian.
Hannah was born in 1838 in Limerick,
County Clare, Ireland, the daughter of John and Catherine (nee McVameson)
O’Brien.[5] Hannah is believed to have arrived in Port
Phillip in 1860.
In March 1862, their first
child, James, was born, followed by John in 1863, but died 7 days after his
birth; John Grant, 1864; Catherine Elizabeth, 1866; Helena Janet, 1868;
Elizabeth C, 1870; Mary Ann, 1873; Sarah Ann, 1874; and Lewis Robert, 1875.
In 1866, James built the
Porepunkah Hotel, which he continued to operate until 1881 when he sold the
hotel and built a home, on the opposite side of the Ovens River, surrounded by
an orchard, garden and vineyard.[6]
James is believed to have
returned to his original trade of painter and went into business as a house
painter and decorator and sign-writer.
For many years he was a member
of Bright Shire Council.
James died on 14 June 1901 at
his residence. His four youngest daughters (Helena (d.1886), Elizabeth (d.1901),
Mary Ann (d.1898) and Sarah (d.1896)) having predeceased him. James was buried in the family plot in the
Roman Catholic section of Bright Cemetery which already contained the bodies of
his infant son, John, and daughters Helena and Sarah.
Not long after James’ death, the
Porepunkah residence was sold and Hannah moved into her son James’ residence in
Bright, where she died on 14 December 1920.
Hannah was buried in the family plot in the Bright Cemetery, whilst son
James (d. 1939) is buried in a separate plot within the cemetery.
Following the sale of the
Porepunkah residence, the homestead was moved up the Buckland where it still
stood until around 2000 when it burnt down.
Daughter Catherine (d.1950 in
Melbourne, Victoria) and her brothers John (d.1949 in Myrtleford, Victoria) and
Lewis (d.1952 in Melbourne) were the last of the family to die.
[1] Scotlandspeople.go.uk OPR Births 507/00 0070 0032
[2] Scotlandspeople.go.uk 1841 Census Records 507/00
007/00 009
[3] Scotlandspeople.go.uk1851 Census records 507/00
007/00 003
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